Some Things Never Change
by Hyper-SpaceGrl
Summary: Ennelei Starchaser is a young lady growing up on a small OuterRim world. She is engrossed in the task of unlocking the secrets of the past, and is determined to find out about her mysterious ancestors...
1. Prologue: Tall Tales

**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Star Wars" or any of its characters. This fanfiction has been written for pure entertainment and I have not made any money off of it.

**Author's Note:** This is the first chapter in a completed story. I will update regularly if I see that it is getting a lot of positive reviews. If I don't, I'll probably make updates less frequent. So, if you like it, please tell me. I would also appreciate any constructive criticism; it would be good to know where my story is weak. Also, check out my other stories. I posted them on here so that I could get feedback and I have gotten very little. _Thank you in advance to those who will review, and thank you to those who have reviewed for my other stories._

I hope everyone will enjoy this!

**

* * *

"Some Things Never Change"  
**_Ennelei Starchaser is a young lady growing up on a small outer-rim world. She is engrossed in the task of unlocking the secrets of the past, and is determined to find out about her mysterious ancestors. As her journey through life progresses, she realizes that, while some things are quickly eroded in the sands of time, other things never change._ _**

* * *

Prologue: Tall Tales** _

Grey, inquisitive eyes opened and focused on the receding figure that now stood near the open doorway. "Mama?"

The woman in question turned around to regard her six-year-old daughter. "Yes, Ennelei?"

"Tell me a story," the young voice insisted simply.

Serinya Starchaser spun slowly, prepared to comply with Ennelei's request, however reluctantly. The girl had been in a perpetual state of restlessness since as far back as her mother could remember. She was innately stubborn, as well, and would constantly try to devise new ways to forestall her bedtime, among many other antics.

Serinya lowered herself to her knees next to her daughter's bedside, placing her chin upon her arms that rested on the bed's edge. "Once upon a time, there was a young cub named Bantie who lived happily with his parents, until one day—"

Ennelei groaned and wrinkled her nose. "No, mama! Not the Little Lost Bantha Cub again!"

Serinya sighed. "Sweetheart, I don't have any other stories to tell."

"Well, make up one. Tell me about… the galaxy. The _real _galaxy, outside this ball of sand."

"Ennelei—" Serinya began reproachfully, but found that she couldn't contradict. Tatooine _was_ nothing more than a forsaken sandball, lost in the black depths of space. Not for the first time during her existence, the suffocating possibility that she might be wasting away her life arose in Serinya's mind. "I've never been off-planet," she conceded in a more subdued tone. "I haven't the slightest clue about what goes on in the greater galaxy."

"Didn't your mommy ever go off-world and tell you the story? What about her mommy?"

Serinya shook her head. "Both the Sheplin family and the Starchaser family have been here since the dawn of time."

"How do you know? What if…" the child's voice trailed off for an instant, and her tiny brow furrowed, a mark of deep thought. "What if the first person from the Sheplin family that came to Tatooine was really a hero? A hero who freed all the slaves on Nar Shaada and then came here to continue." Ennelei's voice escalated, and she made animated gestures with her arms as she told her tall tale. "… But then, there was this big sandstorm, the biggest one ever, and his ship got buried, and he had no other way out, and then—"

"Ennelei," began her mother sternly. "You know your father doesn't like it when you let your imagination run free."

"But, I'll bet it was true" the child interjected earnestly.

Throwing up her hands in defeat, Serinya rose. "I don't know, Ennelei. None of us will ever know. Just make sure you don't recount your wild imaginings to your father. He will be less open-minded to them that I was." Serinya bent over one last time to kiss her only daughter good night.


	2. 1: Hidden Treasures

**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Star Wars" or any of its characters. This fanfiction has been written for pure entertainment and I have not made any money off of it.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Hidden Treasures**

Even on desert worlds such as Tatooine, there is natural beauty to be found. To some, it would be a stretch to call the massive, rocky canyons beautiful, and simply absurd to dub the seemingly endless Dune Sea handsome. It took a true environmentalist to appreciate such landforms. However, a typical Tatooine night was frigid; consequently, the visibility was fantastic. After the Twin Suns dipped below the horizon, one had to only incline their head upwards to find a majestic beauty unrivaled by any other star system – billions upon billions of indefinite points of twinkling light commonly known as 'stars,' along with their corresponding orbiting bodies.

From the inside of a modest hut, one particular pair of eyes regarded the heavens with especially acute attentiveness. _There are so many… so many that it's mind-boggling,_ the girl thought. As she did so, she tapped a finger pensively against the wall beside her, as was a habit of hers whenever she was in deep thought.

After a few seconds, her gaze slowly shifted from the skies above to her moving finger. The walls of this humble abode were solid sand-and-mud that had dried and eroded over a period possibly as long as many millennia. Why, then, did this portion of the wall sound _hollow_?

She moved to the other side of the square gap in the wall that served as a window, and mimicked the tapping motion she had made before. Sure enough, it sounded as if a thick wall lied beneath her finger at this point. The girl returned to the patch that had produced a tinnier sound, and her inquisitive index finger came to rest on something barely perceptible but present nonetheless: a slim crevice.

"A hidden compartment!" she cried, and the prospect unfurled a thousand different and intricate possibilities via the workings of her relentless imagination. Fingers deftly traced the crack and uncovered the edges that were roughly in the shape of a rectangle.

It would be impossible to open using solely bare hands, the girl knew. Perhaps as much as hundreds of year's worth of sand and dust had edged into the already slim crevice, and the hypothetical compartment was fastened securely shut. That did not stop the girl's determination to find something interesting and mysterious.

She strode into the kitchen with a fervor fueled by her undying curiosity. Her mother was standing at one of the few counters, steeping a bag of herbal tea. Her father was seemingly in the middle of one of his cynical speeches, and the young woman could hear the disgruntled rumble of his voice as she entered.

"… and those selfish mercenaries, that we so tactfully dub politicians, sit in their multi-million dollar estates on that floating glamour ball they like to call Coruscant. Meanwhile, we sit out here, trying to figure out how to survive day-to-day, having to deal with hunger problems." Kerith Starchaser's voice trailed off as he leaned over to watch his daughter rummage through a drawer. "And endless domestic issues."

The adolescent merely rolled her eyes heavenwards at her father's not-so-subtle implication that she was a 'domestic issue.' Moments later, she retrieved the dull knife for which she had been searching. She turned to leave, but Kerith stopped her to interrogate. "Ennelei, what in the blazes are you doing now?" His tone indicated that he thought of his daughter as a mindless youngster who couldn't take care of herself.

"I found a hidden compartment," Ennelei replied tersely.

"A hidden compartment, in this hut?" Kerith followed his daughter into her small bedchamber. "Are you delusional?"

"I hope not." Her face flushed, Ennelei ran the blade of the slim knife through the cracks, to first ease the sand particles out. Once that was accomplished, she wedged the utensil into the slot, trying to coax the obstinate miniature door open.

"Ennelei, for the Twin Suns' sake, you're going to kill yourself while trying to pry open that thing."

His words fell on deaf ears. Ennelei's face bore an expression of intense concentration, and she poured all of her strength into her task.

Kerith shook his head before resuming. "It would take incredible force for you to open—"

He was cut off as his daughter stumbled back slightly, because the compartment had opened forcefully. Ennelei set the knife aside, and a bright gleam of triumph became evident in her dark eyes when she realized that her strenuous efforts had not been in vain.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, cautiously removing the datapad from its place of solitude.

It was a curious find. Though protected for an untold number of years by the solid façade of the family dwelling, the device was weatherworn. Telltale scuffmarks indicated that it had seen its fair share of usage.

"There's no telling how old that thing is, Ennelei," Kerith scowled. "I know for a fact that nobody in at least the last few generations would bother putting a datapad in the wall."

The young girl lifted her eyes from the object as she turned to face her father. "That's exactly what makes it so intriguing. Dad, you know that I've always been longing to find out who my ancestors were. This is my only link to knowing the answer."

"Ennelei, we have eyes on the front of our faces, not on the back of our heads. This is because it is more important to look forward than to look behind us."

"You don't understand. The past can help shape the future. And for me… I have this feeling that finding out about my past relatives will help me to discover my place. My _real_ place, off of this rock."

"It's just a feeling? How many times have I told you not to rely on hunches, especially after what happened last time?"

The memory made Ennelei wince. She had told her father she thought something wasn't right with one of their moisture vaporators. In her rush to attempt a repair, she had broken an essential piece that had initially been operating fine.

"You know what? Hand over the datapad," her father instructed. Ennelei's expression of glee at finding the object now transformed into one of despair. "I can already tell it's going to distract you from your chores and your purpose, which is one this planet whether you like it or not."

Slowly, Ennelei prepared to place the newly found device into her father's outstretched palm, but relaxed when she saw her mother standing in the open doorway behind Kerith, hands on her hips. Serinya was always much more sympathetic to her daughter's wishes than Kerith was, and often interceded on Ennelei's behalf.

"Just a feeling, Kerith?"

Whirling around to face his wife, the man of the house announced, "I am not going to take any chances."

Placing a hand on her husband's shoulder, Serinya inclined her head in the direction of the outside corridor. "We need to talk."

Once the door to Ennelei's room was shut, she stealthily put her ear to the crack underneath the portal. At first, only bits and pieces of the conversation were audible, but as her parents' discussion continued, voices escalated with the rising tension.

"The girl's crazy," her father's voice exclaimed. "It's bad enough that she studies all those myths and legends, but now she had to uncover the story behind some long-deceased beings who have no tale behind them whatsoever!"

Scowling, Ennelei backed away from the door, thinking that she heard quite enough of her father's complaints for one day. It was bad enough that he dared to insult her, but to add to that, he had deemed her beliefs and endeavors 'crazy.'

She temporarily thrust aside her frustrations, in telling herself that her father's opinion on this issue was of no consequence. Eagerly, she examined the datapad. For years, she had searched for a key that would unlock the mystery of her forefathers, and finally, she had found it.

Taking the device in her hand, she saw that it was archaic, even by Tatooine's primitive standards of technology. Ennelei pressed a red button beside the display, and the formerly dormant screen came to life. The two words that appeared there left her thoroughly delighted and mystified: Jedi Ways.

_Jedi ways._ Ennelei had heard relatively little of the Jedi Knights during her lifetime. Because Tatooine was not part of the Galactic Republic, few if its natives were educated on such matters. Ennelei, contrarily, felt that it was of the utmost importance to be informed of happenings in the greater galaxy. She spent her spare time studying about the Republic and the Jedi that defended it. Through what she had read previously, she knew that the Jedi Knights were known and respected, and for good reasons. They were some of the galaxy's most noble and complex beings, and spent all of their energies maintaining peace and justice in the Republic. Rumor had it that the Jedi had been wiped out in a great Civil War almost five hundred years ago, but on this Outer Rim world, those whispers were acknowledged as no more than rumors.

Turning her attention back to the datapad, she first searched for a date. Luckily, she didn't have to look farther than the first entry. The year on it read: 5,232, third common age. She was utterly shocked. This was even before the Battle of Yavin, which had taken place over 400 years ago! This datapad had existed even before the most recent timeline had been instituted. Ennelei searched avidly for some sort of clue about its former proprietor, and after a few minutes, successfully brought up an identification screen that declared Ben Kenobi had been the owner.

_Ben Kenobi was my forefather, and he was Jedi Knight,_ Ennelei thought contentedly. What puzzled her most was what business a Jedi warrior would have on Tatooine. She knew that the great Temple was located on Coruscant, the galaxy's glistening capital. Had this Ben Kenobi become stranded on this Force-forsaken dustball while on a mission that had failed? If that were so, when did the surname Kenobi cease to exist in Ennelei's family line? Her mother's maiden name was Sheplin.

Those were questions for another time, Ennelei decided. For now, she was anxious to read some of the data stored on this ancient device. Fascinated, she read the first few entries of the virtual journal. It didn't provide distinct responses to her still unanswered inquiries as she had hoped, but it did help her gain insight to the fundamentals of the Jedi path. The files contained information about the Force, proper Jedi conduct, and the Trials, which were several tests a student had to pass to be promoted to the rank of Knight…

"Put it to rest already," a gruff voice called abruptly, and Ennelei started. She had been so engrossed in her find that she hadn't noticed that the chronometer's crimson display read 2330. That was a half-hour after she usually turned into bed.

As she dressed in her sleepwear and retired for the night, she could not entirely eradicate the feeling that told her Ben Kenobi was not her ancestor as she thought.

That evening, visions of a blue-eyed man occupied Ennelei's subconscious mind. They were abstract, and showed nothing highly specific about him. The images rendered the young girl more puzzled than she had been while reading the datapad.

* * *

**A/N: **Whether you like it, hate it or are indifferent, I would appreciate your review.


	3. 2: Premonitions

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Star Wars or any characters therein. This fanfiction has been written solely for entertainment.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to those who have reviewed for this story. I really appreciate them! Enjoy this upcoming chapter.

**_

* * *

_**

**_Chapter 2: Premonitions_**

That day, the Twin Suns rose, just as they had for millennia before, and as they did for ages afterwards. At the first sign of Tatoo I casting its golden light across the horizon, Ennelei arose along with it. This, too, was an element of a typical Tatooine day.

However, the disquiet that Ennelei felt as she prepared to start the day could hardly have been described as normal. It was one of those feelings that occurred so often to Ennelei, and that she could not ignore despite the innumerable times her father would chide her to not blindly follow hunches. It was as if these sorts of whims were innate to her, and could not be suppressed by a power of any magnitude.

"Where's mother?" were the first words that escaped Ennelei's mouth when she met her father in the courtyard.

"She isn't feeling very well today. She claims she's very faint, and she's got a slight rash on her arm. Personally, I think she's overreacting."

That was Ennelei's father speaking, as uncaring as ever. "Overreacting?" she echoed incredulously and without further word, headed to her mother's bedchamber. Kerith's words had filled his daughter with worry, and the latter was going to judge for herself whether her mother was being overly dramatic.

Kerith followed closely behind, his protests that work needed to start right away becoming inaudible to his selectively deaf daughter.

Ennelei entered the bedchamber and noted that her mother was overcome by fatigue. Then a strange-looking spot on Serinya's sun-browned arm caught her eye. Squinting suspiciously at it, Ennelei leaned close enough to inspect the blemish. As she did so, she saw that there was not only one spot, but two, close enough to pass for a singular sore upon casual observation. Further scrutiny allowed Ennelei to see another in the crevice of her mother's elbow and still more close to the back of her shoulder. Glancing at Serinya's opposite arm, Ennelei could tell that blemishes of the same origin threatened that region as well. The spots looked more malignant than anything Ennelei had ever seen. Black crust formed around the edges, and the inner portion faded from a deep red to sanguine in the very center. They were irregularly shaped and rose high above the skin surface in spots, but pressed close to the epidermis in others. Scowling, the young lady turned to face her father. "Dad, I'd hardly call that 'just a rash.' That looks serious; you should get a physician to look at it!"

"Ennelei, what do I look like, a tree that credits grow on?"

"But—"

"Ennelei, I'll be fine," Serinya intervened calmly, reassuringly. She had the patience of a saint if she was able to forebear her husband's caustic remarks, Ennelei thought. "I just need some rest, that's all."

Her father's next comment not only made every hair in back of Ennelei's neck stand on end, but also made her disgusted that the two of them shared the same genetic material. "Make sure you get adequate rest today, because harvest is coming up and I can't afford to have you sleep through it when I need your help the most."

As followed her father out of the bedchamber, Ennelei was sure her acute sense of hearing picked up the sound of his voice murmuring: "Overreaction."

She grit her teeth, wishing not for the first or last time that she had more willpower to stand up to her father.

The first thing she heard the next morning were voices in the hall: Kerith's was one, but the other was unfamiliar to her.

She tumbled out of bed and opened her room door quite abruptly, to see two figures recede into Serinya's bedchamber. Ennelei let out a smirk of satisfaction cross her lips. So, her father had decided to hire a doctor after all.

However, the diagnosis that Ennelei overheard was enough to extinguish any sort of satisfied expression off her face.

"I see several infected spots on the epidermal layer. It doesn't look good… seems like melanoma, lethal skin cancer, caused by too much solar exposure."

"Can you treat it?" Kerith asked, and Ennelei held her breath.

"Sure, just a little radiation or chemo should bring her back to normal."

Kerith shook his head. "I'm afraid that there's no way we can afford that type of treatment."

"There's nothing more I can do," the physician stated helplessly after what seemed like an eternity.

The words had such a great mental impact on Ennelei that her shock manifested itself in physical form, and the young woman started. "Wait!" she cried, stepping forward into the room, and both men turned to face her. "There must be something we can do. I can work and earn money for the treatment. We can sell off some of our droids and work longer days. There has to be some other way."

"Ennelei… it's too much," Kerith responded sadly. "There's no way we could ever cover it." He turned to the doctor. "Thank you for your time."

The latter bowed as he made his exit, and all Ennelei could do was watch helplessly as her world slipped away from her. How could her father be so apathetic to the fate of his wife? Her heart willed her to do something, but her mind reasoned that there was nothing to be done. Rationality won out in the end; as compelled as she felt to provide a solution, Ennelei knew that it was not possible. For minutes on end, she hovered tentatively by the doorway before finally stepping forward and dropping to her knees next to her mother's bedside. "Does this mean I'm going to lose you?' she whispered fearfully to Serinya's sleeping form. She slumped against a nearby wall for support as she contemplated the bleak reality of the situation. She couldn't lose her mother. She argued with her father incessantly, and the relationship between the two was extremely stressed, at best. Without Serinya's calming presence to intercede between them, matters would certainly grow ever worse. _I can't lose you,_ Ennelei thought desperately, although she knew the silent plea would do nothing to alter her mother's ordained destiny.

Her father's insistent call that told her to commence with the day's work made Ennelei rise abruptly. Before leaving the room completely, however, she cast one rueful glance at her mother.

_Farm chores,_ the young woman thought contemptuously as she set the moisture vaporators for the day's dew point. It was a painstaking job that she had always hated. _Who wants them, who needs them?_

To an outside spectator, the thoughts would most likely have appeared misplaced. Farm chores preoccupied her thoughts, forcing her to cast aside the otherwise angst-filled premonitions concerning her mother. Strangely enough, that was the only thing Ennelei _wanted_ to think about. She would not allow her mind to take shelter in the relative comfort of her routine chores; she instead counted them as an unwanted distraction and thought only about Serinya, as if merely pondering everything could save her.

> 

Later that evening, Ennelei spent her few free hours by her mother's side. If she was going to lose Serinya, then she wanted to she wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

"Ennelei," Serinya said after a few minutes of idle chatter about the farm and what little was going on while the elder was bedridden. "The drawer of my vanity cabinet… look inside."

She did as instructed, and pulled out a golden hololocket that was among a few other useless paraphernalia. Picking it up, she examined the piece. It was beautiful, too beautiful too be among Tatooine's mundane sands and too beautiful to be worn with its inhabitant's typical, rugged, peasant-like robes. Its pendant was shaped like a heart and had two letters engraved in intricate cursive on its front. "T.S?" she inquired.

"I don't know what it stands for… it's been there for as far back as we can trace."

The cryptic words instantly roused the young woman's curiosity. She traced her fingers along the sides of the pendant, feeling an opening there with a jagged edge.

"I'm sorry to say I don't know how it opens, either. All I know about it is that it was passed down from generation to generation, and it will be with you long after I have passed on."

"It's beautiful… but I don't need this to help me remember you." Her gray eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Mom, I love you. I won't let you go so easily."

"Ennelei, what's done is done, and you cannot rectify it." As much as Ennelei wanted to deny it, she knew she couldn't. There was nothing at all that could be done.

_> _

_The young woman must have heard the footsteps coming, because she snapped up from where she'd been sitting and arrived at the door just as the man on the other side did. The two embraced, and as they did, light reflected off the gemstone on the ring on her left hand._

"_Happy anniversary, darling," the man muttered pulling out a beautifully decorated package from behind his back._

"_Oh, love, you didn't have to—"_

"_Whether I had to or not, I did it anyway. Go ahead, open it."_

_Her deft hands undid the string that wrapped around the small box, and then opened the container itself. Its contents made her lose her breath for a moment. "It's beautiful," she finally sighed, once she found her voice. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was a striking golden necklace with a heart-shaped pendant attached. "You even got my initials engraved on it. How can I thank you?" Obviously, it had been expensive for her husband. _

"_For you, only the best." He removed the necklace from its box. "Turn around."_

_The woman complied. Her husband moved her thick mass of hair to the front of her shoulders, passed the chain around her neck, and fastened it tightly at the back. She looked down, admiring it while the man admired her. _She doesn't need the necklace to make her beautiful,_ he thought._

"_There are spots for two pictures inside. You can put one of us together in one placeholder – maybe even our wedding holo. I had the key custom made." He opened his hand and pressed the object in question firmly into his wife's palm._

_Gratitude shined in her eyes. "Thank you again, love. For everything." She passed. "Don't worry. I haven't forgotten you." He looked at her with some emotion between surprise and interest._

_She placed a hand affectionately on his shoulder. "Come on. I want you to see the modification I got for your ship."_

> 

Ennelei didn't know much more about these people except that they were her ancestors. Even that didn't mean anything to her, as she did not know who they were. But she was still touched by this small tale, this little piece of their lives, because she saw in them what she hadn't seen at work in years: true admiration. The young duo not only made an aesthetically handsome couple, but it was clear that they truly loved each other, unlike her parents. Inwardly, she wondered if her parents had married and raised a child for the sole purpose of keeping the farm going, or if at one point in their younger years, they had loved each other.

It mattered little now. Ennelei was infuriated with her father, not only for not loving her mother, but also for not protecting her when she most needed protecting. In this, he was neglecting his duty as a husband. She was afraid of losing the one dearest to her due to his foolishness.

_> _

_The scene was a simple one, and the nondescript atmosphere could have been construed as anything from joyous to tense._

_Two men stood at a fair distance away from Ennelei, but were close enough so that they should have been within earshot. Still she heard nothing, acute as though her ears were. Knowing that, she automatically placed ominous elements into the rudimentary scene._

_One of the men turned aside briefly, and she was in shock when she recognized him as the physician who had examined her mother two days before. Ennelei let a gasp of astonishment escape her lips before she calculated the consequences if it were to be heard. Her brief worries were quelled once it became obvious that the others had remained oblivious to her presence._

_A cloud of haze started to gather around the duo, and seemingly compensating for the nebulousness of the visual aspect, muffled murmurings became audible for the first time. Ennelei strained her ears, but she could not distinguish any words, and that added to the suspicions she already had. Slowly, and of their own accord, the sounds accumulated volume, finally forming comprehensible phrases. It was the physician that spoke, and the sound of his voice, for some reason sent chills up Ennelei's spine. _

"…_another treatment. I believe I can take care of her properly." He smiled, the gesture a façade of benevolence. Ennelei worked to suppress a shudder, for she felt as if there was a strong sense of underlying malice in the expression._

Next thing she knew, she had jerked awake.

> 

Ennelei stopped her chore of picking the mushrooms off the moisture vaporators. She heard voices in the courtyard. One was her father's, but, while the other one seemed familiar, she could not pinpoint it. She decided to go investigate and caught a piece of the conversation as she approached

"… returned to my office, and one of my more intelligent colleagues informed me that there was a less expensive treatment for this skin cancer. Ennelei was somehow horrified when she recognized the physician who had visited two days prior. _Why do I have a bad feeling about this? I should be happy…_

Her father turned to her as she entered. "Do you hear this Ennelei? He's found a treatment we can afford."

"It's a vitamin drug that has proved to abate the severity of the cancer," the other expounded.

Immediately, the memory of the other night's dream came back to her. "Dad, no! Don't let him give it to her!" Ennelei cried out suddenly.

Kerith sighed. "Excuse us, please." He took Ennelei aside. "What is your problem? First, you said we should go to any extent necessary to save her, and now you say that he shouldn't try to cure her. Make up your mind."

"It's not that I don't want her to live, obviously—"

"Okay, then. Let him do his job. He knows what he's doing; you don't. That's why he's a _doctor._"

She sighed. Her father was such a stubborn man. All she wanted to do was knock some sense into him, but she knew that she could not convince him of the doctor's evil intentions with only the abstract proof from her dream. He would just become angrier with her for basing decisions on only the feelings she had. Still, she was not about to welcome this man's help when he had given her so few reasons to believe him. He had returned too conveniently; that combined with the vague but suspicious dream that she had the previous night made Ennelei very distrusting of him. "Right this way," Kerith ushered the doctor into the bedchamber where Serinya still slept. Ennelei felt so helpless, as all she could do was watch. _I hope it was only a dream after all. _In truth, however, she couldn't truly convince herself of that, and all she could think was, _Mom, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry._


	4. 3: Grave Work

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Star Wars or any recognizable characters therein. This fanfiction has been written solely for entertainment purposes, and I have made no money off of it.

**Author's Note:** I noticed that I am getting much less hits as the story progresses. Stay with it; I promise it is going somewhere. Next chapter, we're off Tatooine! Thanks to everyone who did review.

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Grave Work**_

There was not one thing Ennelei wouldn't have given at that particular moment to hear her father admit that he had been wrong about trusting that particular doctor. Three treatments of his concocted drug had abated the severity of the melanoma as promised, but it had in turn given Serinya an untold disease of another kind. The man had robbed her family of what meager credits they had and took off, never to be heard from again, just before suspicious signs of chronic illness became apparent in the lady of the house.

The latter was currently fully awake and conscious, which had become more and more rare of late, so Ennelei spent as much time with her whenever she could. This instance was no exception.

She knew that her mother was dying. "What am I going to do without you?" she asked weakly, and the response sounded just as feeble.

"You'll find your way in this galaxy without me, Ennelei. I know you will. You'll go on to live a great life. I know you want more than anything else to be off this rock. Don't deny yourself the chance as I did to myself." With her waning strength, she grasped her daughter's wrist, as she made the admission aloud for the first time. "There are times when I felt I've wasted my life away on this rock. I don't want that to happen to you." Ennelei wanted to respond in some way, but even if her throat weren't choked up from the threatening tears, she wouldn't have known what to say.

> 

It seemed like the Twin Suns never rose the next day. In fact, they had, just as they would have on any other day. But to Ennelei, everything around her seemed dark.

That was even before she strode into the other room and gazed for the last time at the now-listless body that would nevermore take another breath. Once Ennelei saw that, her breath caught in her throat and the scene around her grew bleaker still, despite the rising of the two suns.

"Must have happened some time during the night," her father remarked, and she was appalled by the matter-of-fact tone in his voice. She meanwhile, fell to the floor on her knees, beset by grief.

A few minutes later, the body had been wrapped in some cloth coverings. That accomplished, Kerith instructed his daughter simply to get a shovel.

She assisted her father in digging a sizeable hole, a task hampered by tear-blurred vision. Robotically and repeatedly, she lifted her shovel and tossed sand to the side with help of the utensil… until she felt it hit something hard. _A rock, in the middle of a sand field? That seems unlikely..._ Curious, she bent down, and upon noticing the unnaturally smooth contour of the stone, she brushed away some sand that concealed it. Two engraved letters that were visible on the surface confirmed Ennelei's previous belief. _By Coruscant… it's another grave._

As if awoken out of a stupor, Ennelei forcefully seized her shovel and worked diligently to excavate the tombstone. Minutes later, she stooped to retrieve it. When she picked it up, she noted that it was surprisingly heavy.

"What in the name of the Suns are you doing now?" her father asked, in the same tired tone that he always used while addressing her when her hyperactive imagination took charge of circumstances. Ennelei scowled, and ignored him as she so often did when this type of situation arose. In stead, she concentrated on deciphering the inscription. The stone was weather worn, the erosion of the letters testifying to its age while making the epitaph nearly impossible to read. Finally, Ennelei was able to make it out: _Here lies Ben Sheplin._

She stared in wonder and utter disbelief at the stone. She didn't know who Ben Sheplin was, but from somewhere inside her, she felt as if this was the connection between her and one who was once great. This simple stone could very well have been a great piece of history that had been concealed in Tatooine's sands of time…

"Ennelei!" her father's stern voice sounded as if it was coming from another planet, though in reality is was so loud it was a wonder that even the late Serinya didn't stir. Only when Kerith roughly jerked the ancient stone from Ennelei's grasp did the young woman snap out of her reverie. Her head lifted upward, and her questioning eyes followed the stone's path as it was thrown into the distance with a surprising strength. "We have work to do," Kerith continued.

_Grave work,_ Ennelei thought, reluctantly turning back to the dismal task at hand, when she would so much rather preoccupy her mind with wistful dreams of a time long past.

> 

Something drew her back, hours after the task was finished, when the first star had appeared on the western horizon of the night sky. That something was an unseen force of an unspeakable magnitude, a newfound sense of nostalgia mingling with Ennelei's omnipresent tenacity, which dictated her every move. She brought with her small flower blossoms that had grown around the edges of the hydroponics station, and arranged them over the grave with care, in a fashion ensuring that the wind would not carry them away. Painstaking, punctuated strokes of a chisel resulted in a new epitaph appearing on Ben Sheplin's ancient headstone: _Serinya Starchaser. Loving mother and wife._

Her current task complete, Ennelei set down the chisel and gripped the headstone that she had set in the ground. The pallor of her hand contrasted starkly with the shadows that the night cast upon the stone. These shadows, however, corresponded with Ennelei's dark mindset. "I wasn't strong enough to save you, Mom," she whispered apologetically and she shivered, a subconscious motion that she did not attribute to Tatooine's frigid night air. In truth, she knew it wasn't her fault, but she thought back to the incident with the physician and blamed herself because she felt that things would surely have been different had she been strong enough to confront him.

As she thought about that, silent tears ran down her cheeks, leaving water marks on the grave. She would have stayed thus, crying all night long, had her father not insistently called her several times. His voice compelled her to move from that dismal spot. Even as she entered the house, she looked back at the grave, now adorned with the brightest flowers Tatooine could offer, and thought, once more, _I'm so sorry._


	5. 4: Open Doors

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters therein. This has been written solely for the purpose of entertainment.

**Author's Note: **I am sorry I have not been able to update for so long, but I've been very busy. Thank you to those who will maintain interest and review, and thanks to anyone who has reviewed in the past.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Open Doors**

The life that Ennelei had begun to lead was drastically different from that which she had on Tatooine for so long. Sometimes, to her, this reality was one seemingly too good to be true, like a passing dream that would contrast starkly with the bleak truth that she would discover when she would wake up and find herself on Tatooine, with a life she didn't want.

It hadn't been easy to convince her father to let her leave, but in the end, she was so determined to escape the planet that even he had to comply with her wishes, if begrudgingly. She had a plan set out the she followed down to the minutest detail, and only then would she be able to achieve her goal. Her last conversation that she had with her mother ran through her head countless times – in particular, the part concerning Ennelei fulfilling her dreams that did not lie in the wastes of the desert planet. If there were to be a time when Ennelei would let her mother's dying with unfulfilled, it would not be in this millennium.

After she left, she broke off all contact with her father. After Serinya's death, relations between him and Ennelei had improved slightly, but only because the two knew they would have to cooperate if anything was to be accomplished.

She worked long and hard outside the moisture farm, in order to save up enough money for passage off-planet as well as an education. For reasons unknown to her, besides the fact that she had a natural propensity for it, the study of Galactic History had always fascinated her. She studied on a proud, self-sufficient inner rim planet called Atillah. It was a fairly new system, that started to become civilized around the year 150 ABY, so it was quite ironic that one of the most prestigious schools for studies of history had been founded there.

She earned her degree and found a job shortly thereafter, in much the same manner as every other graduate had. But while most of the others worked in the field because it paid well and put food on the table, Ennelei was far more passionate about her work. She studied history because she loved it, and she felt in some way connected to the great figureheads of ages long past, even though she could not begin to explain why.

These are a few of the many reasons why Ennelei always listened with rapt attention while given a new assignment. That day was not an exception to the rule, but rather a superlative of it. The young woman could smell it in the air: on this day, she was to embark on an assignment of the utmost importance. Reinforcing her already present suspicions was the presence of a strange woman at the head of the conference table, seated next to Ennelei's superior. She wore curious robes, and a quick downward glance at her waist area afforded a view at her telltale lightsaber, a weapon that could belong only to a Jedi Knight. Ennelei stiffened and sat at the briefing table in a particularly professional pose. Her eyes met the other woman's, and she instantly felt that she had seen this stranger previously. However, she knew that it was impossible; she had never before encountered a Jedi.

Presently, Ennelei's superior rose and signaled for silence in the room. Instantly, all the murmurs of curiosity and speculation died down as they were replaced by the authoritative voice of the one in charge. "Ladies and gentlemen, as you might already have supposed, you are starting a new assignment today that is of great gravity. With me, here is Jedi Master Tabretta Solo, who has put in the request for the research. She will fill you in on the specifics. Tabretta?"

The woman nodded and rose fluidly. She was young for a Jedi Master, Ennelei noted. She would be surprised if the other was any older than 30. When she spoke, she had a low voice that was commanding, rational, and calming all at the same time. "Thank you, Jediah." She gave a nod of acknowledgment to the head of the research facility before continuing. "As most of you know, there have been issues in the Outer Rim for the past few decades, and have gotten increasingly worse as of late. Now, we have just received word that terrorist attacks in the Naboo system have sent things spiraling out of control." She paused to let the information sink in, and murmurs of disbelief and discouragement filled the chamber.

Ennelei shook her head sadly. She knew all too well that things like that happened every day in each system of the Outer Rim. It was because they were for the most part destitute, that itself as a result of being outside the Galactic Republic's control. It had been that way ever since the formation of the New Republic. _Some things never change,_ Ennelei thought grimly. The terrorism and treachery that went on in the Outer Rim was one of the chief things that drove Ennelei to move out of that region altogether.

Tabretta Solo continued: "The Jedi have worked long and hard on this situation, but things have recently gotten out of hand. We are losing more of our number than we can afford. Most important of all," she emphasized her stern expression growing graver with each word she spoke. She made eye contact with each one in the room, making sure everyone understood. "We believe that the Outer Rim systems will possibly for a confederacy and unite against the greater galaxy. The relevance to you assignment: the Jedi Order is appealing to researchers such as yourselves all across the galaxy. We would like you to study the events that surrounded the Galactic Civil war. Much information about it has been lost, but we are under the impression that the situation was quite a close parallel to our current one. We think that the Outer Rim systems rebelled and overthrew the Republic, crowning one of their chief leaders Emperor in the process. Even if this theory is incorrect, we are frighteningly close to a Civil War now, and it will be helpful to know how justice prevailed in the end. My fellow Jedi and I will periodically stop by to oversee research and share insight on any leads we might acquire. Are there any questions?" She glanced over the room. "Seeing that there are none, I'd like to say, may the Force be with you in your studies."

Because of her strong background in Jedi lore – and probably also because she was one of the manager's favored employees due to her zeal for the job – Ennelei had been assigned to this challenging task. She was shocked to discover that it was even more difficult than it had first sounded. She buried herself in research for the rest of the day, but the only conjecture she and her team members came up with was that the theory Jedi Master Solo had presented was probably false. Then the hard part would be figuring out what theory was correct.

Overwhelmed by various pressures, the greatest of which was the gravity of the assignment, she slumped gratefully in to the comparative comfort of an armchair in her living room when she returned home much later that night. Ennelei heaved a sigh. _Mom, if you were still here_… Serinya had always been a source of calming, practical advice, a fountain of wisdom that had quenched Ennelei's anxieties through any situation. She longed to see her now, longed to hear her quiet voice along with the reassuring counsel that would accompany it. She would also have answers to some of the questions lingering in Ennelei's mind, especially those about her ancestors.

Over the years, her curiosity about who her forefathers were had never died. She always hoped that her studies of history would help her discover more about them. In this epoch of her life, she was more confused than ever about whom they were. She thought back to the datapad that she'd found so long ago within the hidden compartment in her room. It had misled her over the course of a few years and she had believed that Ben Kenobi was her forefather. Before she even got to study history and Jedi lore formally, she studied the datapad and found that attachment was forbidden for a Jedi, which included marriage and children. What she studied at the University only reinforced this point. That led her to the conclusion that this Kenobi never had any children, but had lived in the hut before her family came to inhabit it. The possibility that he had rebelled against that particular rule did cross Ennelei's mind, but through the man's writings, she had concluded that he was a stern, righteous man who would have upheld the code in the strictest sense. What a Jedi Knight would be doing on Tatooine and how he arrived there was a different story entirely one still unknown to Ennelei; her history materials had no record whatsoever of the man.

Idly, she fingered the heart-shaped hololocket that was draped about her neck. It never left its designated spot of honor, save for when she was sleeping. She knew that there were holos of great significance inside the locket, ones that would answer her questions that other items had failed to answer, and it irked her that she could never get it open. Also, a nagging question was the one about the TS that was engraved on the front. She had taken to wearing the pendant backwards, because of the amount of questions she'd been asked in the past regarding the cryptic initials, and it aggravated and shamed Ennelei that she could not answer them. Perhaps, she would never be able to.


	6. 5: Cryptic Revelations

**Disclaimer:** I have not made any money off of this.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Cryptic Revelations**

The more Ennelei learned about the Civil War, the more she appreciated what it had truly stood for. She didn't yet have all the details, but she understood the basic principles behind it. She admired the freedom fighters that had started out as a ragtag militia but eventually made their name in history as the Rebel Alliance that fought against the tyrant who had overthrown the government and crowned himself Emperor.

One hero in particular stood out in Ennelei's mind, and that was Luke Skywalker. Not only had he established the New Jedi Order, but evidence suggested that he defeated the Emperor almost single-handedly. Yet, there was something else that compelled her to further study this extraordinary historical figurehead, though she had no clue as to what that something else was.

Soon, she found herself on a vessel outbound for Coruscant, and her final destination was the Jedi Temple. Her mission was to find out all she could about Luke, via the Jedi Archives.

She knew it didn't pertain directly to the research assigned by Tabretta Solo, and that she had probably exceeded the boundaries of her limited authority in convincing her superiors to let her do this. Ennelei had always been quite a powerful persuading force, and this instance was no exception.

Though she would not admit it aloud, her primary reason for taking this quest was to find out about Luke Skywalker, although she did not need to know more to complete her assignment. She had told her superiors that she could possibly find out something peripherally pertaining to the assignment if she read the archives, and that she planned on making contact with Master Solo while she was there, to give her an update on the latest research findings.

_This is it,_ Ennelei thought excitedly as she alighted, _Coruscant. _The Capital City of the Republic was, and always had been, the glittering jewel of galactic civilization. It was considered a great privilege to be on this world, especially if one had been born and raised in the Outer Rim. Ennelei never imagined that she would have this unique opportunity, and she stood for a few minutes in complete awe, just observing the planet. Part of her didn't believe she was actually here. Another small part experienced a minute pang of guilt, because by rights she shouldn't have been there. Still another silent voice urged her forwards, telling her that she had come here because it was the right thing to do. She couldn't justify the truthfulness of the latter statement, but still it stuck with her.

Thrusting aside the conflicting sentiments, she focused on her mission as the Jedi Temple came into view. It was the single most impressive edifice that Ennelei had ever seen in her life. Granted, she had seen countless holos of it throughout the years, but she saw that no picture could do it justice or capture the full extent of its glory. It was in the shape of a large rectangle, wide at the bottom and narrowing slightly towards the top. The main structure towered over everything else around it, and five spires added to its majestic height. The top of the tallest one, Ennelei knew from her studies, was where the Jedi Council convened. That room was her ultimate destination.

After conferring with the gate master and informing him that she was expected by Master Solo, she traversed the spacious corridors, marveling as she stepped. One could get lost in here, not because the hallways were an intricate labyrinth, but really because the inside of the Temple was just as striking as the façade. She also knew from her studies that this structure had been meticulously refurbished after the Civil War, by none other than the revered Luke Skywalker himself. The painstaking efforts of those who had aided them showed clearly; this Temple was solid proof against the thought that a building could not be a work of art.

As instructed, she waited outside the Council Chamber for the current session to adjourn. During the elapsed time, Tabretta Solo was contacted and notified of the one who had requested her presence.

Ennelei greeted her with a traditional Jedi bow, which the Jedi Master promptly returned. Ennelei then requested to be led down to the Jedi Archives, and Solo promptly complied. It was an expansive room, equipped with bookshelves several stories high, each having a comprehensive set of books. At the ends of the shelves were busts of long-deceased Jedi, some of the greatest of all time, to Ennelei's best conjecture. Studying them closely, the statues nevertheless seemed foreign to her, like faces of casual passersby that she might encounter on the streets – save one. Even from afar, it stood out like a beacon. Though it was lifeless as the floor beneath her, the bust seemed to become animated before her very eyes. The deep brown atop the head lightened into a sandy yellow, giving the figure golden blonde locks. The eyes transformed into sky blue, and the corners of the mouth turned upwards, as if cryptically but benevolently smiling down upon her.

"Here you are," Master Solo's voice snapped Ennelei out of her odd hallucination. She shook her head to clear out the bizarre fancies before sitting in the chair Tabretta indicated. However, before she turned her to the holoterminal in front of her, she glanced back at the statue, which had now reverted to its former sable tone. _It must have been sheer imagination... Get a grip on yourself, Ennelei._

When she opened Luke Skywalker's file in the Archive, however, she read something that rendered her more startled than she would have been if the bust had come to life and started walking towards her. She simply stared at the screen for a few minutes, completely amazed by what she had discovered. _Luke Skywalker. Homeworld: Tatooine._

_By the Stars… who would have thought?_ As she read through the rest of the Jedi Master's file, something else caught her eye. Another, single sentence at the end of his biography rouse more questions in her mind: _Married to Tenyalla Faaldrin of the destroyed world Alderaan._

She turned to Master Solo, who had been waiting patiently. "He was married?" she asked incredulously. She knew that it was forbidden for a Jedi. It seemed all the more strange that the founder of the New Order would go against this fundamental interdiction. Tabretta nodded affirmatively as she brought up a headshot of a young lady. She looked even younger than Master Solo herself. Curly locks cascaded down her shoulders, and slight shoulders suggested a petite frame. The most striking thing about her was a set of beautiful, large eyes that looked dark, although it was impossible to determine the exact shade from the old blue-and-white holo. Ennelei thought she saw a sad expression in those eyes, although the rest of the woman's face was the absolute epitome of Jedi serenity. _Striking young wife of the renowned Luke Skywalker…_

Solo spoke up again, hindering Ennelei from reading the rest of the mysterious lady's biography. "Legend has it that the earlier Jedi married between themselves in order to expedite the reconstruction of the Order after the old one was obliterated during the Civil War. Later generations, of course, decided against allowing marriage once there was a good number of Jedi in the galaxy. Which is why," she reached over Ennelei as she continued, her deft hands keying in yet another code that brought up a third entry. "The Skywalker dynasty is never spoken of, even though Luke did have a daughter."

Ennelei blinked in surprise at the heading, Lanya Skywalker, and the corresponding holograph of a young woman who looked like she could have been her mother's clone. True to the era, this holo was also blue-and-white, and the young woman depicted held an activated lightsaber, posing in an unconventional defensive stance. "This is not the type of history one learns about at the Academy," Ennelei remarked.

"No, it's not," the other agreed. "Since, by the time Lanya was old enough to marry, attachment had unofficially become taboo. Historians feel that this is a kind of trivial detail unworthy of mention"

Ennelei began to think that the professionals in her field had made an error in overlooking this allegedly 'trivial detail,' and part of her said that there was more to this story than even the Archives told.

Before she had time to voice her suspicions, Solo spoke again. "There is something else I think you might like to see." She started walking in another direction, towards the room's exit, and beckoned. Ennelei followed eagerly, but not without stealing one last glance at the holo-terminal that had been the source of such cryptic revelations.

She has led into a wing of the Temple that had obviously been added onto the main structure. Its marble halls and high vaulted ceilings indicated that it had been built during a time of flourishing culture. Though she was no architectural expert, Ennelei placed the probable date of construction as sometime during Lanya Skywalker's lifetime. Looking around, she promptly gathered that it was a museum of Jedi artifacts, mainly lightsabers, from recent to archaic. Tabretta gestured to one in particular, and Ennelei froze immediately when she saw it. The weapon was relatively nondescript – she would not have picked it out above any of the others had it not been called to her attention. Yet, something screamed inside her, for reasons she could not explain, and somehow, she knew to whom the weapon had belonged before the information was divulged. "Luke Skywalker fought with this weapon." It was said as a statement, not a question, and Ennelei was stunned at the certainty in her voice.

Apparently, Tabretta was equally shocked. She gazed sharply at Ennelei and commented, "Yes, that's right. I'm surprised that you would know that." Ennelei laughed inwardly. _So am I._

> 

Ennelei was spending only one night on this glorious center of galactic civilization, so she wanted to take in as much as possible during that timeframe. She walked along Coruscant's ritzy avenues, feeling out of place among the people dressed in the galaxy's finest materials, but nonetheless all too pleased to be here, observing the ways of the very cultured people of the galaxy as well as the planet itself. She had always believed that one could learn so much by observing, and the longer she lived, the more she was amazed at how true the belief was.

Ennelei walked thus a few minutes longer, until something caught her eyes. Two young men had cornered a youth against a wall of a nearby building, and were towering over the latter antagonistically. She slowed almost to a halt, as many others were doing, but she soon realized that, while she was doing so out of horror, the others in the crowd were stopping out of mere curiosity. Then the others turned away once their curiosity had been satisfied, and casually went about their business. Their blasé attitude enraged Ennelei all the more. She determined that she would do something.

She approached the two older boys and the youth as discreetly as possible, taking advantage of the cover that the crowded streets generally provided. She stood close, observing from the shadows, as she was so good at doing. From a closer point of view, Ennelei could see that the youth was a young boy with a flat, wide face, and a prominent widow's peak. It was a humanoid, then, a species she didn't recognize. Knowing that made Ennelei less surprised that he was pleading for his life. Humans tended to discriminate against aliens a great deal.

"…didn't mean any trouble. I just wanted—"

"Tell him what he wants," one of the young men spoke to the other.

_I'll let you both know what you're asking for_. Ennelei furtively fiddled with the settings on the blaster that she always kept on her in case of an emergency.

The young man who had been addressed spoke up. "If you beg us for credits," he paused to flex his hands, "then that means you're asking for a knuckle sandwich."

Ennelei found this the perfect time to interject. As she stepped forward and spoke up, the three turned around and noticed her presence for the first time. "Or maybe you two would like something worse."

They turned to each other and laughed. "Oh," one said mockingly, "the lady wants us to be peaceful."

As they approached her, still laughing, she drew her blaster, and blue shots made them hit the ground before they knew what was going on.

The young humanoid came to her then, somewhat apprehensively. "Lady," he put forth timidly, "are they—"

"Dead? No, just unconscious." She found the child's innocence endearing. "I stunned them. I wouldn't kill anyone. But at least you're safe now."

He grinned. "Thank you, lady."

He bowed and turned to leave, but Ennelei caught him by the arm. "Wait." She pulled out a credit chip. It didn't have much on it, but to a beggar's family, it would mean the galaxy. "I want you to have this."

The boy's eyes widened. "Wait until Daddy sees this! He'll be able to buy a new speeder. Ours broke down two month ago."

Ennelei was so surprised to hear this that she could not think of anything to say in response. Speeders were a thing of the past, even on Atillah. They had been replaced over 200 years ago by AT-ATs, all terrain automatic transports. And on Coruscant, Ennelei could see by merely glancing around that something even more high tech had developed. If not, it was such an advanced model of an AT-AT that it didn't resemble its cousin in the slightest. Ennelei hadn't heard the word _speeder_ since she'd lived on Tatooine, and was surprised such a thing still existed in the Core Worlds.

"Daddy's been trying to get a job ever since we came here, but he can't," the boy continued. "He thinks it's because he's an alien."

"Coruscant is full of off-worlders, though… it's like a melting pot. There are more aliens than humans, probably."

"Yea, but out homeworld Dantooine is in the Outer Rim. It's different."

_Oh, that explains it... though it doesn't justify the treatment._ "I see. Hold on to that chip very tightly and quickly run home to your family. And stay out of trouble." Ennelei didn't even have the chance to finish her sentence before the young Dantari had run off with his small treasure.

> 

Ennelei's flight back to Atillah gave her plenty of time to reflect upon what had transpired on Coruscant, but so much had happened so quickly that she nevertheless felt as if the time allotted was insufficient. Some of her questions had been answered, but for each one of those, at least two new ones rose in its place that had yet to find a response. The uncertainties hovered and whirled about in her mind, drawing her into a vortex of doubt. _Why was so much of this history lost? Why is the Skywalker family never spoken of?_ Most disconcerting was the discovery of Luke's weapon. _How in the galaxy was I able to guess that the saber was his?_ Ennelei was used to her intuition giving her information that the average person wasn't privy to. But her feelings always told her important facts, not mundane things that would not impact her in some way. _Why do I not believe that the ancestry ended with Lanya Skywalker? _

Her thoughts then drifted then to the incident that she had witnessed the previous night. Unequal treatment of alien races seemed so prevalent in the Core Worlds, and Outer Rim inhabitants or former inhabitants were treated as if they weren't part of the same galaxy. Before this enlightening visit, Ennelei hadn't known the situation was so bad. Why was it like this? When would it stop? Or would it ever? _Will I ever _not_ have unanswered questions like these?_ Ironically, the latter was the only question to which Ennelei knew she had a response.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm sorry to any Luke/Mara fans whom I have now lost (especially if you have been really liking this story up till now), but I was never a fan of Mara Jade, so I paired Luke up with an OC. Please don't kill me. (Hopefully I haven't disappointed anyone _too_ much?...) 


	7. 6: Of Division and Unity

**Disclaimer:** I have not made and am not going to make any money off of this fanfiction.

**A/N:** As usual, thanks to those who read and review. I hope everyone enjoys this nice long chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 6:** Of Division and Unity

Ennelei was never one for politics. She evaded it as much as possible in everyday conversation, and kept up-too-date with only the most basic political news. But as she read through the InfoNet that three sectors had formed an alliance, deep creases of concern appeared on her forehead and around her mouth.

To her even greater dismay, when she shared her worries with her friend and confidante, the other young woman shrugged off the news apathetically. "Which three sectors did you say were involved?" Sarisa Rollan asked.

"Arkanis, Chommell, and the Hutt Space region," Ennelei replied. Adding to her unease of the situation was the fact that the Arkanis sector contained her homeworld of Tatooine.

Sarisa laughed. "Ennelei, you're way too intense. Here in the Corporate Sector of the Mid Rim, we're well-protected against such threats."

"Not necessarily. Don't you see? This could mean the start of another Galactic Civil War."

"Issues of the greater galaxy are too akin to politics, and I hate politics."

"I do too, but this could be the start of a crisis. It could affect us. We should care enough to try to take action and stop it, and all of our answers lie in history. We have the power to stop this right now." She suppressed a sigh of frustration. Normally, Sarisa lent a sympathetic ear to Ennelei whenever the latter had a problem to express, but there was obviously nothing she could say now to get the two to see eye to eye.

Sarisa sighed. "I'm still not concerned with it. I always thought you had too much valor, Ennelei. I'm not like you in that way. I've always wanted to lead normal life, have a good job and a loving family."

Ennelei didn't answer, but looked away. The two were indeed opposites in that way. She had left Tatooine long ago to escape that very concept of 'normal life.' Fortunately, that mundane existence was behind her, and her current task was not dwelling on her own past, but ascertaining the truth about the history of the galaxy in order to ameliorate the present situation.

> 

Hours of research caused eyes that were bloodshot from lack of sleep, but also allowed an important conclusion to germinate in Ennelei's mind. There was but one way to approach this crucial undertaking, and that was to analyze the current state of the galaxy. From that, she could tell exactly which points or details in history she needed to focus her energies on.

From a certain point of view, there were many problems in the galaxy – too many to mention, in fact, and none of which seemed to make sense. But to Ennelei, all those issues coalesced, fitting together perfectly as though there was only one piece to this puzzle. The Republic lacked unity; that was the crux of the entire problem. At the conclusion of her research that day, she started musing over the hypothesis that Tabretta Solo had professed a few weeks earlier: that the term 'Rebel Alliance' had come from the Senate and Jedi who had sided together during the Civil War. If that were so, it would mean that the organization had succeeded because of the unity they had, which resulted in plans of decisive action that the new Triple Alliance most likely lacked. _I can get a lot of insight if I head in that direction with my research._ Although she had found out many things of personal interest while on Coruscant, she had truly deviated form her research. The sooner she could get on the right track, the less guilty she would feel about that.

The minute she found the information she was looking for, she knew she had several leads. 'Rebel Alliance' referred to a pact between pockets of resistance cells, each of which opposed the New Order or the Galactic Empire. It had started with the Petition of 2,000. The real shock, as well as the pivotal issue, came when Ennelei looked for more information about it.

The Senators in question – those who were responsible for initiating the Rebellion – after signing the Petition, refused to involve the Jedi in any way. _An irrevocable decision. Had they made the right choice, they could possibly have stopped a twenty-year-long war._ She also noted that these were the heroes of the Civil War, the very people who through their determination had brought peace and freedom once again. _How could such good people make such a misguided decision?_

That was a question for another time, however; it pertained to another, entirely different universe. For now, Ennelei resolved to present this information to all whom it may concern, and then search for any further information she could find on the topic.

During that week's debriefing, Ennelei's superior announced that he was particularly pleased with the progress that had been made over the past few days. She had already been praised several times for her work, and now, her boss drew his attention to somebody else.

"As presented by Teran Drexel, the Military Creation Act officially started the Clone War, which was a shortened Civil War before the actual rise of the Empire." Teran glanced in Ennelei's direction, and she gave him the thumbs-up in a silent 'congratulations.' Turning in the other direction, she could see Sarisa smirking at her. Ennelei rolled her eyes. She was always teasing Ennelei about her and Teran being an item, although Ennelei had told her umpteen times that the two were simply good friends. Before she could form even a terse verbal retort, she snapped back in her seat as her eyes were forced shut. Ennelei would have reacted, had she been in control of her reflexes.

It was like falling asleep within a matter of seconds. Her subconscious mind dictated all of her actions, and she saw things that appeared to be in another universe entirely, as if she were dreaming.

_The young, petite woman appeared to be some sort of bureaucrat, judging from her sophisticated apparel. She was also very exasperated about something. There was vigor in her step, fire in her eyes, and controlled but clear disgust in her voice. "I do not like this idea of hiding." _

_The one whom she was addressing was obviously a Jedi. Layered robes covered his tall form, and a lightsaber was attached at the customary position on his belt. "Don't worry. Now that the Council has ordered an investigation, it won't take Master Obi-Wan long to find this bounty hunter."'_

_The brown-haired woman would not be appeased. "I did not work for a year to defeat the Military Creation Act, to not be here when its fate is decided."_

"_Sometimes we must let go of our pride," the deep voice responded, "and do what is requested of us."_

"_Anakin… you've grown up."_

Ennelei found herself in the conference room once again. She noted that most people had already left, and thus knew that the debrief had been adjourned. She glanced worriedly at her chrono, relaxing when she saw that only a few minutes had passed. She was even more relieved to discover that her superior was busy answering last-minute individual questions, and that she had not been seen. Quickly, but not jerkily – she did not want to draw needless attention – she rose to her feet and headed for the exit, near which Sarisa was waiting for her. "You OK, Enn? I got a little worried when I saw you spaced out for a minute."

"Yes, I'm fine," Ennelei responded, still preoccupied and bemused by the strange suddenness of the dream. "Just tired, I suppose." While it was the only logical explanation to what had happened, Ennelei still somehow didn't believe that was the reason that she had dreamed during the meeting. The connection with the Military Creation Act was too strong to ignore, and the regally dressed young bureaucrat bore an uncanny resemblance to Tabretta Solo. What was this, her mind's idea of a piece of the past? She couldn't answer. She would try to come up with a better conjecture later. At that moment, she pushed it aside as unimportant.

> 

No system in the galaxy – neither the modern and well-informed Corellia nor the majestic, archaic Chandrila – had as much information on the early Rise of the Empire era as she small, backwater world of Naboo. It made sense once Ennelei found out that Naboo used to be a Mid-Rim planet, and the Emperor himself had been that system's elected delegate in the Senate before becoming Chancellor and Emperor respectively.

From what Ennelei could gather, Naboo had initially opposed the New Order. After grueling hours of collaborative effort, she and her team had managed to obtain a list of the senators who had signed the Petition of 2,000. Naboo's Senator, much to Ennelei's surprise, had been one of the first signatures on the list. _Amidala,_ she keyed into the Theed Palace archives, and froze when she saw the holographs included in the database's report. In one of them, she was dressed in royal robes that enveloped her small frame. In the second, she also wore apparel that signified a high station, but was less formal. The gown was a murky purple color, dark towards the middle and lighter by the sleeves and skirt portions. Ennelei recognized the dress as the one from her dream during the conference about a week back.

The further she read, the more surprised she became. Amidala had strongly opposed the MCA, just as was voiced in her dream. As intriguing as all of that was, the detail about the MCA was of little importance to her thematic research. But this Amidala was of the utmost significance, as she'd been a signature on of Petition of 2,000. _Amidala is considered one of the founding matriarchs of the Rebel Alliacnce, even though she suffered a mysterious death shortly after the organization was formed._

_That's too bad… and terribly convenient. I wonder if…_

She read on to see if she could find something that confirmed her vague suspicions.

_No one knows for sure what happened, but legend has it that a group of Jedi conspired for several years to assassinate her and finally succeeded. _

Ennelei snickered. She knew that was a lie. The Jedi were pacifists who would never do anything of the sort. Frowning, she stared at the glowing display screen for several minutes before formulating her own conjecture. _That timeframe still seems odd to me. Just after she started working with the Alliance, she got killed. It must have been the Emperor that ordered her dead and blamed it on the Jedi to make them look bad and him look good. _That seemed like the most credible explanation.

One more thing in the young Senator's biography caught Ennelei's eye. A pull quote at the end of the article read, "This whole clone war represents a failure to listen." This saying was one of Amidala's most well-known. That statement immediately reminded Ennelei of the galaxy's current state. Could the same thing not be said right now if war were to break out?

She surged to her feet. Yes, on this small Outer Rim planet she had found many answers. _Wait until Tabretta Solo hears about all of this,_ Ennelei thought excitedly as she headed for the spaceport.

> 

On her way, she stopped at a small breakfast shop for some sustenance and some caf. She sat at a single table and stared out the nearby window as she ate and drank. Suddenly, for an unknown reason, she had a very bad feeling. Her stomach transformed momentarily into a labyrinth of knots as the gut feeling worsened. Taking a final gulp of the caf, she rose and saw shifting shadows in the low shrubs barely whining view of the window. Whoever this was, they certainly had good stealth skills if they could escape Ennelei's acute senses for such a length. Without thinking, she drew back. To her horror, the window shattered the next moment. She hadn't expected that to happen. She was used to the stable Plexiglas used on Atillah. Obviously, this world did not have the resources to use such a relatively expensive material for windows.

She didn't have much time to wonder about the why's and how's. Chaos erupted all around her; someone had shot the window and armed aliens began invading the formerly tranquil breakfast shop. Fortunately, Ennelei was already a good deal away from her original spot and outside of the strange attackers' immediate line of sight.

A voice resounded over the public announcement system just then. "Attention, all patrons and employees. Prepare to evacuate the building. Do not use the south exit – there are armed Gungans blocking it."

Ennelei looked at the directional indicator above the portal near which she now stood. It was marked with an "S." All others were carefully evading it. Something told her to take this exit. _It's the only pathway to escape. All the others are being blocked by the masses of fleeing civilians, and I won't be able to reach any other door in time._

She knew she had to make a quick decision, and that it would most likely be a life or death one. Once again, she followed her instinct and chose her path of escape. She said a silent prayer to the Force before she bolted out of the South exit. She realized that there was no turning back.

She knew also that there were armed Gungans effectively blocking the exit, so she hurried past them as quickly as she could, trying to retain her element of surprise. It worked well; she glanced over her shoulder when she was outside of immediate firing range, and only then was the trio of aliens readying their rifles. She also saw that it was a good thing she came out the south exit. The three at that door must have made their presence known as some form of diversion, for each other exits had at least six or seven terrorists surrounding it, killing innocent civilians left and right. These terrorists must have had a lot of practice, she mused, if they could form such intricate and multifaceted ambushes so seamlessly. In the short timeframe that she observed the scene behind her, she saw at least ten individual lives claimed. Shocked and horrified, she quickly turned around, wanting to see no more. But a second glance over her shoulder showed that two of the three Gungans were not only open-firing at her, but pursuing her. She tried running in an oblique path in an attempt to foil their aim. It was a good ruse, but the Gungans eventually started to close in. At this rate, she would never traverse the small grassy field and subsequently reach the speeder lot.

In a desperate attempt to get the two to stop pursuing her, she purposefully came close to a shot that would have been fatal had it hit its mark. Precisely milliseconds before it would have done so, she dropped limply to the ground. She hoped it was enough to convince her adversaries that she was dead.

A chillingly cold voice filled the air the next moment, and uttered the words that she wanted to hear. "Well, we won't be seeing her again." The other laughed in response.

She listened closely, but heard nothing more than what sounded like receding footsteps crushing the soft turf as they parted quickly to claim more lives. Ever so subtly, she opened her eyes. When her suspicions had been affirmed, she jumped up and darted to the speeder lot, thankful that she was too far away from the catastrophic scene to be threatened. She tumbled into her rented speeder – yes, speeder – the primitive technology in this section of the galaxy didn't allow for such luxuries as AT-ATs. As she started up the craft and drove as quickly away form the scene as she could, she heard and saw the explosion that ended the existence of the diner and of all unfortunate people who happened to be in it. She glanced back at the dismal scene, and tears of compassion welled in her eyes for all those who were lost. But a small voice in the back of her mind urged her on:_ Don't look back; don't look back._ And, as obligation drew her back into the present, she kept driving forward.

At length, she arrived at the spaceport. She achieved a degree of composure, but not without difficulty. The frazzling experience had been too close for comfort, and she surmised that her nerves would be on end for several days afterwards.

Luckily, she had kept all her money in the inner pocket of her robe while she had lost the rest of her possessions. She hadn't wanted to leave her travel case in the rented speeder for fear that it might be stolen, so she took it in to the diner with her. It was only now that she realized she was missing the travel case; before, she had been much too preoccupied with her escape. But it mattered little. She was merely grateful to be alive right now.

Approaching the ticket counter for passage to Atillah, she tossed an extra 20-credit chip towards the person behind it. "Tell me what you can about the situation here."

The man looked at her strangely. "Don't want your stinkin' credits," he grumbled.

Ennelei was taken aback. How else could she find out about the reason behind the attacks if not by bribery?

"They ain't worth nothin' here," he reminded her matter-of-factly. _Oh, right._ She put away the credit-chip and took out the equivalent amount in Naboo currency. Fortunately, in addition to keeping her money in her pocket, she had had the foresight to change over half of her money and save the rest for the return journey. _We're one galaxy; we should all at least share the same currency. Yet, even down to that minute detail, we stand separated. Why?_ It was a type of question that had no logical answer, one that hung ominously in midair without resolution.

That's more like it," said the man, satisfied. "There's a lotta division on this rock right now." _Why am I not surprised?_ "The Gungans – they're the other race, 'case you didn't know – are mad at the humans 'cause things are going bad for them. But it's not like we can do nothin', 'cause the Republic won't recognize us Outer-Rimmers."

"So all this is happening due to lack of an arbiter," Ennelei mused, more to herself than to anyone else.

The man shrugged. "I guess if you wanna put it that way, yea. Sounds like you know what you're talkin' 'bout."

"Thank you very much," Ennelei said as she paid for her ticket and went to board her transport just as the last call for Atillah came resounding over the public announcement system.

Ennelei sat in her designated seat, silent and pensive once more as the great vessel traveled through Hyperspace. As she mentally collected herself, closing her eyes and taking deep calming breaths, she juxtaposed the galaxy's current state to its former state four hundred years earlier. Yes, those rebel senators had made an error in not asking for the Jedi's help in presenting that petition. However, they redeemed that error in consolidating their organization and eventually overthrowing the Emperor. They had united for the right reasons, unlike this new Triple Alliance, which was posing a threat throughout the galaxy… _But,_ a voice of reason within her interjected suddenly, _the conditions in that Outer Rim are beyond terrible, and have been that way since the height of the _Old _Republic. They're going to fight for their freedom just like the Rebel Alliance did. They believe in the same basic principles – liberty, peace, and prosperity. Is their decision not justified as well, then?_ Ennelei couldn't answer; she was torn. She had always been against war unless it was an absolute last resort, but she had also lived in the Outer Rim for most of her life. She knew how bad conditions were, and this most recent visit had been an all-too-real first-hand experience of how much worse matters had become. If the terrorism throughout this remote region of the galaxy was as bad as a Civil War, were the Outer Rim systems doing the right thing in attempting to liberate their planets?

_This whole War represents a failure to listen,_ she recalled. Perhaps what the galaxy needed now were great equalizers, unifiers who were willing to let each side listen to the other's pleas and set things right again. She sighed deeply. She was a historian, not a politician; her concerns were finding secrets of the past, not analyzing problems of the present. Some would say that at she was worrying herself needlessly with affairs that were not her own. But she had always cared about the fate of the greater galaxy. The very reason why she studied history was so that she could find answers from the past to shed light on the present. At that moment, her mind was so overwhelmed with possibilities that mental weariness manifested itself into physical tiredness, and in the turbulent depths of Hyperspace, Ennelei fell into a sound sleep.

_The atmosphere seemed open and amicable, unlike the surrounding air in most of Ennelei's dreams. A young couple was seated at a modest but respectable dinner table as sunlight poured in from the spacious windows. The two were apparently living economically, but seemed content with what they had. Out of everything, their attire revealed the most about them. The young man was clothed in all black, while the woman wore more traditional earth-toned robes. _By Coruscant… they're Jedi, _Ennelei realized. It explained that their financial state was due to the sacrificial lifestyle that the two lead. _

_As the faces became clearer, she was surprised to instantly recognize Luke Skywalker, founder of the New Jedi Order. The young lady's identity remained a mystery, but whoever it was, she was obviously very important to Luke. Their consideration for each other radiated through each of their demeanors. The woman's gray eyes, so similar to Ennelei's, glistened with amusement, indicating that one of the two had just made a humorous comment that Ennelei had missed. Silence ensued, but it was a pleasant silence, not one of those awkward pauses that one tries exceedingly hard to fill. The lady spoke next, easily bringing up the next subject of conversation. "What of the colonization of the Naboo moon?" she inquired._

"_The Ohma-Du'un project?" she nodded affirmatively. "It's under way."_

"_That's good to hear. I read up a little bit on the history of the place. Sad that it had to be so devastated by the Clone War."_

"_Yes, it is a shame. Utterly destroyed as so many other worlds were." He shook his head sadly, making him look older. Ennelei could tell right away that these were good people, very concerned with the fate of the galaxy, especially if they were willing to discuss such matters over the dinner table. "But this is a good opportunity for us. The Gungans and the Naboo have not been this united since before the Clone War."_

"_Right, and they need to be unite. The Gungans will need the financial aid and moral support of the Naboo if they want to successfully complete this undertaking."_

"_Correct as usual, my love." _

_Based on the interaction between the two, including the way Luke addressed the woman, Ennelei drew the conclusion that she was none other than Tenyalla Skywalker. _

_Luke opened his mouth to say something more; Ennelei heard nothing, but saw Tenyalla's eyes light up with joy as he spoke. Shortly thereafter, the scene faded away, and Ennelei heard something else altogether…_

"…last call. Repeat, for all those disembarking at the city of Nylar, _last call_."

Quickly realizing that her dream had ended, Ennelei rose abruptly and prepared to disembark.

_Strange. All of my dreams seem to be prompted by surrounding event. _She thought back to the one about her mother and the doctor; that one had turned out to be prophetic. So, were the other two that had been prompted by a real scene accurate depictions of the past?

She let out a sigh. This was just what she didn't need right now – more unanswered questions.


	8. 7: Prophecies

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Star Wars and do not intend to make any $$$ of of this.

**A/N:** I noticed that interest susbstantially went down last chapter. I guess I should have expected it at some point, but I really would like to know where I lost people. If you think this is the most boring thing in the world, review and tell me why. I could use some constructive criticism.

Also, this is another long chapter (be advised) and I know that the poetry is cheesier than two blocks of cheddar, but I couldn't find a way around it. Please bear with it.

I really hope everyone enjoys this chapter.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 7: Prophecies**

To Ennelei's surprise, Tabretta Solo had come to Atillah en route to a very important mission during Ennelei's absence.

"Strangely, she said that we had enough information on the Galactic Civil War," Sarisa related. "She was content with the completed report that we gave her. She admitted it didn't have all the answers, but it filled the basic gaps in what had been a lost era of history. She doesn't think we can gain any more enlightenment from studying the era."

That made Ennelei even more shocked. "You have the completed report already?"

Sarisa nodded. "We received the information you transmitted from Naboo and included it."

"That was fast. Do we have a copy of it?"

"Yes," the other replied and momentarily produced a copy of it saved on an APD. Ennelei read it carefully, not wanting to miss a single detail about what the other tram members' research had yielded, and what conclusions could be drawn from the mutual information:

_Era: Clone War to Galactic Civil War. Timeframe: 30 BBY-10 ABY (approximate value; current timeline). Description: A crafty bureaucrat from Naboo, allegedly named Palpatine, stealthily rose up the political ladder, until he was finally appointed Senator for his home sector. He was elected Chancellor several years later. Midway through his term, Clone Wars broke out, as an effect of the CIS seceding from the Galactic Republic. During this crisis, there were rumors of a prophesied Chosen One, who would work as a Jedi Knight to help bring balance to the force. However, the rumors are probably false. It will be classified as a mere legend or myth, because the Jedi Order was completely obliterated during the Clone Wars. Palpatine finally used all of this to his advantage in order to gain more power, until around 25 BBY (current timeline) he declared himself Emperor. Resistance cells coalesced into a Rebel alliance, consisting of planets that opposed the so-called "New Order." Though the origins of his training are unknown, the valiant young Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker eventually joined this Rebel Alliance, helping to overthrow the Emperor and his right-hand man Darth Vader. Thus, peace and prosperity were returned to a newly restored Republic._

Ennelei looked up from the all-purpose datapad, shaking her head sadly because this report was so relatively short in length and that it had only the most skeletal details. She was most disappointed to see that the report mainly reaffirmed facts that were already known, save for a few added and corrected details, and a bibliography that credited appropriate sources.

_There has to be much more to it than this. There are gaping holes in this; we left out some of the most rudimentary facts, as well as some of the most touching details, I'm sure of it._ As usual, she couldn't tell how she could be so certain, but she felt very strongly that she was right. Without concrete evidence to back up her conviction, however, it did her little good. She knew that some mysteries would never be solved. _Oh, well. What's done is done, and now it is time to focus on the present. _Reluctantly, she set those thoughts to rest along with the APD she set down. "OK, then. What's next?" she asked her friend.

"Actually, you've been chosen to lead the next project. This is a smaller one – most of the facility's working on something else. But Tabretta was interested in the Chosen One prophecy mentioned in the report. She says its origins are unknown, but she's wondering if there might be a credible copy of it around somewhere. She'd also like to know if there were any other prophecies made between now and then that will help the Jedi figure out what to do."

Ennelei nodded. "This sounds extremely… difficult, but also very intriguing. I'm going to accept the leadership role right away."

> 

Not a week later, Ennelei found herself en route to Coruscant again, this time accompanied by three other team members. Sarisa was with her, as well as her other friend, Teran Drexel. The third was a woman named Catri Bradwin, whom Ennelei didn't know very well, but once the two had become acquainted, it was very clear that their personalities clashed.

Ennelei tried to put thoughts of the detestable Catri aside, and focus on the task at hand – guiding the small vessel through Coruscant's atmosphere and answering to the traffic control. Being the head of the research endeavors, and partially because she was known for her inherent piloting abilities, Ennelei had been designated pilot.

She landed deftly in front of what was the darkest place on all of Coruscant, no matter that the huge building-covered planet had places grim enough to rival the blackness of interstellar space. This palace had been deserted for over four hundred years, and for who-knew-how-long before then.

"Tell me again why we're looking for a Jedi prophecy in a _Sith _temple?" Catri asked.

Ennelei gritted her teeth as she answered, "Because Tabretta Solo positively assured me that it was nowhere in the Jedi Temple. The Archives were erased during the reign of the Emperor."

"That sounds real convincing to me," Catri retorted sarcastically, snickering.

"OK, then." Ennelei stopped at the top of the ship's landing ramp, and folded her arms across her torso. Then she regarded the other two. "Let's all listen to Catri's better idea."

Caught off guard, the other hung her head and remained silent.

Ennelei nodded pointedly. "That's what I thought. Let's proceed. Get everything we're going to need from the hold."

Catri rolled her eyes contemptuously and complied.

Ennelei meanwhile alighted via the landing ramp and surveying the Sith Palace. It was certainly a foreboding place, and the centuries of desertion made it all the darker. It had no door, merely a misshapen hole that served as an entrance. Ennelei walked through, swatting away myriad cobwebs as she did so.

"Ugh!" Catri's boisterous voice resounded thought the empty halls as she entered after Ennelei. "We may as well be in their underground sewer system."

Ennelei balked, emitting a low growl from her throat. Though it wasn't considered decorous, she had every intention of telling Catri to suit herself, to go ahead and depart for the filthy Coruscant sewer system, and good riddance. Ennelei was absolutely sick of the other woman questioning her judgment while she wasn't contributing much herself.

However, Teran took note of her reaction, and beat Ennelei to putting Catri in her place. Turning to face her, he shouted for emphasis. "Stop giving Ennelei a hard time!"

Surprised, Ennelei whirled about and mouthed "Thank you."

As Catri huffed loudly and strode ahead, he mouthed back, "You're welcome." He strode to catch up to her. "Don't worry about her," he advised. "I'll bet she's just jealous of your position. Sure, she's been on a few archeological expeditions, but not many, and she doesn't have nearly as many great opportunities as you."

Ennelei simply stared at him for a few moments, thoughtfully. "Do you really think that's it?"

"Yes, I do." The sincerity in his tone made Ennelei smile.

"OK, lovebirds," Sarisa interjected playfully, catching up to the rest of the group.

Ennelei curled her lip. "Sarisa how many times do I have to tell you…?" She shook her head, unable to continue. _This has _not _been my day._ "Where do we start?… This place is huge."

"We take it room by room, and if we find nothing, then we look through the halls," Catri answered flatly.

> 

Ennelei sighed in frustration. This palace had turned out to be nothing but heaps of debris. They had uncovered only three rooms so far. Each one had taken a full day to excavate; yet, none had yielded any kind of evidence or leads whatsoever. Still, the small, highly specialized team searched on.

Presently, Ennelei got up from where she'd knelt over a raised stone tile on the floor in hopes of discovering evidence in writing, but had instead found only scratches. "This is getting us nowhere," she announced as she wiped the sweat from her brow. It was cold in the palace, but the hard work that Ennelei did made it seem warm. This room-by-room excavation technique had to be the most painstaking, but it was the only way the group was going to discover anything of value. But it seemed that they would never accomplish anything at this rate…

In the next few moments, Ennelei felt as if she was under the control of a strange, outside force. She left the room in search of another, although unsure of which one exactly. Her brain didn't know where it was going, but her feet were all too certain. Her eyes were wide and her step slow as if she was in a trance.

Teran's brow furrowed. "Ennelei?" he called after her, but his single word fell on two deaf ears. Ennelei kept walking forwards.

"I swear I've had it with that girl's quirks. Especially all of this foolish 'follow your instincts' mess," Catri growled as she and the other two moved to follow Ennelei.

"Who's the more foolish, the fool, or the fool who follows her?"

Catri stared daggers at Teran, comprehending the implications of his statement.

"Leave Ennelei alone. She—" _knows what she's doing._ The last portion of his sentence was never vocalized, as he saw Ennelei's trancelike qualities and began to question her motivations himself.

Despite the team members' relative proximity, Ennelei never heard the brief exchange. She had stopped in front of an entryway, seemingly the only one in the Palace sealed with a door, and all peripheral sound had become so muffled that it all but vanished.

Tentatively, as if afraid that merely touching the control panel would set off a lethal explosion, she raised a hand to open the door. When she finally summoned the courage to press the activation button, she wondered if the door would be locked and would require an additional entry key. However, the slightest brush of her fingers engendered a compliant beep from the panel, and a set of doors opened. The first folded into a second set, which successively caused a third set of doors to open the portal completely. It made for a wide entry, at least three meters wide as far as Ennelei could guess, but even that was not the focal point of the room.

All four saw it at the same time; all four simultaneously gasped.

It was almost as wide as the entry itself, and at least as high. It was situated in the far back of the cavernous room, but was horizontally dead center. It was a statue so closely resembling a human being that for an instant it deceived each of them. Its likeness was also hideous enough to render even the toughest spirit instantaneously frightened. It possessed a wizened face and eyes that were more alive than any other feature, seemingly penetrating everything at which they stared with a sickly yellow glow.

Ennelei was the first to regain her composure and boldly step into the room. Strangely, this one lacked the superfluous debris that was present in each of the others. Still, she looked about, as if being assailed by foes. "So much… evil, darkness… _hatred,_" she mused quietly, as if to herself, but Catri heard and rolled her eyes contemptuously.

"You and your mythical superstitions. Sure, it's dark in here, but you can't just _feel_ hatred because of that."

Biting her lip out of frustration and self-restraint, Ennelei approached the statue. Her eyes wandered down toward the base, and she perceived a series of marks too regularly formed to be mere scratches. Looking above the statue, she was surprised to see that the whole wall above it was filled with the same kinds of characters.

"I think I've found something!" Ennelei cried triumphantly, and the other team members quickly ran towards her.

She pointed high, high into the air, and the others' eyes scaled the wall. "It looks like some sort of ancient hieroglyphic. Perhaps the symbols will give us a clue as to where to look?" She glanced at Teran, who was normally able to critically think his way through any issue, but he simply shook his head like he had no idea. Ennelei was momentarily dismayed, but that was short-lived; Sarisa spoke up a moment later.

"Or maybe those symbols are themselves the prophecy."

"Perhaps. Do you think you could interpret it?" Sarisa was the etymology expert; if anyone would know, she would.

Sarisa turned around, responding to the question with another inquiry. "Where are those hover-platforms? I need a closer look."

"Already a step ahead of the game," Catri entered on cue, gloating, with the platforms in tow. Sarisa took one of the platforms and ascended into the air, ready to inspect the set of characters closely. After only a moment's look, she chuckled softly. "I should have known."

"Should have known what?" Ennelei projected.

"These aren't hieroglyphics." Sarisa lowered the platform to the ground and started inspecting the characters on the base of the statue. "It's Aurebesh."

Ennelei and Teran exchanged a clueless glance.

"It's the alphabet that existed before the standard Coruscanti alphabet. Of course this prophecy would be written in Aurebesh, because it was made several hundred years ago. It wasn't until 263 ABY that the Coruscanti Alphabet was officially adopted."

"Can you read it?" Ennelei prompted.

After a moment's glance, she responded, "I've been trained to do so, yes. The base says…" After a few minutes of entering letters into her APD, she announced, "It says 'Long Live Emperor Palpatine.'"

Ennelei was shocked. This belonged to the pivotal Galactic Civil War era!

"As for the writing on the top…" Sarisa remounted the platform and pressed the auto-extend button, motioning for the others to get on and ascend with her. A few more minutes of scanning the text yielded a sigh. "This looks like it will be more challenging because there are many eroded characters, and obviously, there are a lot more words. It will just have to be translated letter for letter and then we'll have to figure out what's missing."

She picked up the APD that rested on the platform and started noting letters once more. _I, n, space, t, h, e, space, f, a, l… _Sarisa let out a sigh, fingering a spot on the wall. "It looks like the rest of this word is missing, in addition to the one after it."

Catri, who had been surprisingly quiet throughout the exchange, smirked as she spoke up. "That's where my wonderful technology comes in handy. You're all going to actually thank me later. Lower the platform."

Baffled, Ennelei reached for the control that gently lowered the hover'form. Catri walked over to the supply crate and retrieved something that looked comically like children's adhesive glue. "This concoction solves our issue with erosion. It's a liquid that we can pour on the surface. Since it's hyperactively adhesive, it can detect the slightest difference in surface height."

Once the platform was within reach of the area in question, Catri applied the thick liquid to the stone wall with an expert hand. It worked well for something so deceptively simple. Once applied, it settled into the crevice where the engraving used to be, revealing the desired character.

Sarisa nodded approvingly. Looking over her shoulder, Ennelei watched the etymologist enter another _l, _and successively, _i, n, g._ _In the falling…_

Even with the expedient aid of Catri's liquid solution, it took the rest of the day to translate the text on the wall to the modern alphabet. Even when that was finished, Ennelei realized that there would have to be some sort of second translation phase. As she expected of a text written in an old alphabet, the language was both archaic and cryptic and would have to be interpreted. Sarisa handed her the datapad with the full, letter-by-letter translation. It read:

_In the falling shadows of the night  
__Comes one to make the darkness bright.  
__Conceived by the force and the Force alone,  
__Offspring of a virgin's womb.  
__This Son of the Suns, bright as the Twin Stars,  
__Doth shine his light both near and far._

_The scale is tipped, both sides found wanting,  
__Meanwhile, an ominous Shadow haunting,  
__Engendering fear in all those who behold –  
__This dread, a vice that tightens the Shadow's hold._

_Twilight like a dark curtain doth unfold,  
__And years then follow, dark and cold.  
__But the Chosen One, within their midst,  
__Ascendeth, and in his wake, Dawn's mists.  
__Outshining the darkness with their light –  
__Only then will every wrong be set right._

Ennelei gasped upon seeing the words Chosen One. "We've found the prophecy itself!"

"Wow," Sarisa mused with a low laugh. "I suppose that's where the phrase 'The writing's on the wall' came from."

"There's more," called out Teran who had extended the platform and was scrutinizing the text that Ennelei now saw off to the left of the statue. "More over there, too," he told her as she approached, pointing to the other side of the huge mass of stone.

Ennelei walked over, and saw that there was indeed a lot more to translate. "Oh, dear," she sighed as her mind's eye envisioned Coruscant's sun sinking far below the horizon. She made a decision then, and addressed the team in its entirety. "One prophecy took long enough to translate, and we have yet to interpret it. It's late, and I think we should return to the hotel for now and interpret what we have. Tomorrow we'll return to translate the rest and then prepare for the return to Atillah."

Upon her request, each member returned to his or her respective hotel room. But once Ennelei had eaten and washed up, curiosity once again began to take hold of her. She took out the datapad with the prophecy translation that Sarisa had lent her. She hooked it up to her own, copying the desired file so that she could look at it more extensively, and then returned Sarisa's to her.

"Any leads yet?" Sarisa asked when Ennelei went to see her.

"Not yet. I haven't really looked at it, but I'll let you know what I come up with."

Once she returned to her own room, she glanced at the APD and began trying to read between the lines when she was interrupted yet again by the door chime. She sighed as she rested the device on the bed, silently wondering if she'd ever get to make headway with it.

Teran Drexel stood on the other side of the door when she opened it. "Oh, hello," she said, surprised by the visit. "Come in."

The two sat down at a table at the far end of the room. "I hear you're still working on that interpretation."

"Yes, that's right," Ennelei responded, nodding towards the APD that rested on the bed.

Teran got up to retrieve it.

"I'm afraid I haven't gotten very far," she admitted somewhat apologetically.

Teran shook his head, laughing; the rich sound filled the room. "You work too hard, Ennelei. I've come to help you."

"Oh, it's not necessary. I—"

"'Can do it myself,'" he accurately finished for her. "I don't doubt it. But they always say that two heads are better than one, and it's true." He sat next to her so that they could both read the datapad.

"OK, you win. Thanks for the help." She read through the prophecy once more; this time, certain phrases stuck out in her mind. "Sun of the Suns… Twin Stars," she mused. All she could think about was her modest homeworld that orbited two heavenly orbs. But the rational side of her could not believe that this was any sort of allusion to Tatooine.

"That _is _strange," Teran agreed. "I've studied planetography practically my whole life, and I don't know of a single system that has two suns."

"There must be—" _another._

"Perhaps. But so, it's got to be in the Outer Rim, because most of that region just isn't studied. All of the Core Worlds – Coruscant, Corellia, Kuat, Chandrila, and our own Atillah – have only one sun. Even Alderaan, when it existed, had but one Sun." Both sank into a respectful moment of silence, as was a tradition on Atillah and most prosperous systems whenever the name of the destroyed planet was mentioned. Then Ennelei slipped into her own state of meditation. _It's got to be in the Outer Rim._

"Maybe it's metaphorical, like everything else in the prophecy," Teran concluded. Ennelei wondered why she hadn't thought of that. A mundane world like Tatooine couldn't possibly be the crux of a prophecy that affected the entire galaxy.

"You're right," she acquiesced, and then rose. "I'm afraid that we'll need the rest of the prophecy to figure out exactly what that metaphor is." For some reason, she suddenly felt tired, as if all she wanted to do was sleep

"I agree that we've worked enough for one day." He glanced at the chronometer, which now read 2053. "And I know that Sarisa would never let you hear the end of it if she knew that I stayed much later." He winked at her, and Ennelei blushed to the roots of her hair as she said goodnight.

Mere minutes after he left, Ennelei's body hit the bed, and she immediately fell into a deep sleep.

_> _

_The overall setting was one Ennelei recognized easily. The endless sea of sand, the modest moisture farm, and most importantly, the Twin Suns, comprised a scene that could take place only on Tatooine. But she recognized neither the people nor the specific farm where this strange encounter took place._

_The man descended from his mount, awkwardly cradling an infant child. He was wearing Jedi apparel, Ennelei noted, and looked quite weary. A young woman came out to meet the man, and the baby was handed to her. As the first man departed, she took the child over to her husband and showed him their newly adopted child. Together they regarded the Twin sunrise and listened to the desert wind, which softly whispered a hymn of hope._

_The couple and the infant faded away, replaced by a handsome young man of about 20, judging from what could be seen of his back. With a sigh, he gazed at the same two suns, not an iota different, except this time they were sinking toward the horizon. (The difference between the Twin sunrise and sunset being obvious to only a Tatooine native.) As the young man looked out, he gazed past those two Suns, however bright, to other stars far, far beyond, and he dreamed of a larger life in distant worlds, as the wind kept whispering its hopeful song._


	9. 8: Speculations

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Star Wars and have not made any money off of this fan fiction.

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry to have kept all of you waiting. I've been very bogged down with a school project and have hardly had time to breathe. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to those who did review. Special thanks to swiftykenobi - your review was especially encouraging. I'm glad you enjoyed the cheesy poetry... because there's more in this chapter. ;) Again, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Speculations**

The sun that was just beginning to rise was singular, and neither white nor fiery red in color, but yellow. The planet on which Ennelei now arose was not far removed from the core of the galaxy. Rather, it was right in the center. Once she had been awake for a few minutes, Ennelei finally got her bearings and reminded herself of which planet she was on; she thought it was strange that she even had to think twice about it at all.

Her mind drifted back to her cryptic dream, which reminded her of that remote world that she had grown to hate. That man had seemed so familiar. Even though Ennelei saw him only from the back, she was sure that she had seen him somewhere else before. She mentally searched for a time when she could possibly have seen this man. _Get over it, Ennelei. It was only a dream._ She wanted to laugh aloud at her own foolishness.

_The line disappears, but breaketh not,  
__And when aid most desperately is sought,  
__Comes one to bring prosperity,  
__The Chosen One's posterity.  
__  
Alliances form, and also factions,  
__And many are provoked to action,  
__But this One has a keen mind –  
__It will help the One to find  
__And uncover secrets of the far past,  
__Bringing much-needed peace at long last._

After the first half of the remainder of the prophecy had been noted, the platform moved to the other side of the statue. While Sarisa and Catri worked on the decryption of the last piece of text, Ennelei concentrated on piecing together the parts of the puzzle that they already had. _The most important question is who this Chosen One was. Then we can possibly figure out who this 'posterity' is._ Something made Ennelei wonder whether this prophecy had already been fulfilled. _What about the alliances and factions? That sounds like what's happening now…_ She tried to think of another period in history where that had happened, and several sprung to mind: the Hutt Wars, the Dark Jedi uprising, even the redrawing of the Outer Rim boundaries in 419 ABY could fit this description. Ennelei threw up her arms in defeat, exasperated by the enigma.

"We're done," Sarisa announced handing Ennelei her APD with the new info, which Ennelei promptly transferred to hers. _Oh, no, we are not done at all. This is just the beginning…_

_The line drawn out over twenty score,  
__Is severed, and shall never more  
__Continue, but its legacy,  
__Shall leave its mark on history,  
__Though the sands of time efface,  
__Details of this memorable race.  
_

_Thus, it has been since the Galaxy was born;  
__Thus, it will be till a new era dawns._

"That takes care of that. The mere translation is done; we can save the interpretation to do once we get back to Atillah," Sarisa announced.

Ennelei turned her head this way and that making sure that there was no more of the prophecy that the group had missed. As she did so, she felt the clasp of her mother's necklace come undone. Surprised, she attempted to catch it, but it sailed off the hover'form. "No!" she exclaimed, lying down and reaching over the edge in one last but futile attempt to catch it. She looked back at her other team members in dismay. "I'm sorry, everybody. Hold on." She quickly lowered the 'form and jumped off when it neared the ground. "Ennelei, be careful," she heard Teran shout. "Don't get yourself killed."

Ennelei looked back and rolled her eyes as a response. As if she were a small child that needed that instruction. Couldn't he see that this was so important to her not because it was made of expensive metals, but because it was all she had left of her mother?

She looked around, examining the floor carefully but could not see where the necklace fell. _Perhaps it fell behind the statue._ When she looked, she was surprised to find it there. Now came the hard part – actually getting the necklace from the minimal gap between the statue and the wall.

She reached as far as she could, yet the chain remained frustratingly just beyond her reach. She moved as far in as she could, so that her shoulder touched the statue. Still, she could not grasp it. She imagined it miraculously closing the gap of a few centimeters and flying into her hand, as if she could will it closer by the sheer power of her mind. Finally, she looked down and was amazed to see and touch the necklace in her hand.

> 

Instead of shedding light on the mystery as Ennelei had hoped, this new part of the prophecy complicated things even further. _What line? What race? Details being lost…?_ She sighed in frustration. "Can anyone speculate further about the prophecy?" she asked the group in entirety, now that the group's transport was in hyperspace on its way back to Atillah.

"Well," Sarisa began, sitting next to Ennelei on the acceleration couch in the common area, "Here's something that perplexes me. The language in part one of the prophecy is decisively older than the other two. Looking at the etymology of the words, I would place the first part far before the Civil War era. That's not to say the prophecy wasn't fulfilled at that time. But the second part obviously contained words that were more recent, and was even written in a simplified form of Aurebesh. I'd place the writing sometime after the Civil War. The third part seemed a few decades more recent than that."

"So then, maybe they're actually different prophecies."

Sarisa shrugged. "I'm afraid that's where you're on your own, Ennelei. I don't know anything about this Jedi stuff."

> 

For days, she struggled through the interpretation of the cryptic piece. The only thing that was clear was that the prophecy or prophecies spoke of two different individuals, both of whom were supposed to bring peace and balance. _Son of the Suns._ One part of Ennelei couldn't ignore the phrase or interpret it as a metaphor. For what seemed like the umpteenth time, she read the full report on the Galactic Civil War era. _During this crisis, there were rumors of a prophesied Chosen One._ Ennelei didn't believe that was a coincidence. The Jedi Knights of that time period must have looked into the topic, and would have readily negated any rumors that they felt did not hold true.

…_The valiant young Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker eventually joined this Rebel Alliance, helping to overthrow the Emperor._ Somehow, when she read it like that everything suddenly came together.

_Son of the Suns.  
__Luke Skywalker. Homeworld: Tatooine._

"It's Luke Skywalker!" she exclaimed triumphantly to herself. Mere moments later, she remembered something that disappointed her greatly. Tabretta Solo had told her that Luke's only descendant had been Lanya, his daughter; his line hadn't extended farther than that. The second part of this prophecy mentioned "the Chosen One's posterity" and had probably been made after Lanya's death. _Well, if Luke is not the Chosen One, then who is? _Temporarily pushing aside the nagging question, Ennelei readied her holocom, prepared to speak with Master Solo about this matter.

The Jedi Master's eyes widened when she heard of the Chosen Ones. "We didn't even know the first one existed for sure, and now we have evidence that there were two spoken of," she mused wondrously. "Unfortunately, there have been many great Jedi since the formation of the New Republic. The greatest of them all was Luke Skywalker, but he had only one daughter who never had children of her own."

"Are you sure?" Ennelei didn't know what made her question this now.

"Absolutely. Any others would have been archived."

"What if… something else happened that we didn't know about…?"

"What makes you doubt?" inquired Solo, not suspiciously or condescendingly, but curiously. Her eyes were narrowed, as if acutely aware of something.

"Just a feeling, Master Solo. I'm like a Jedi in that way. I've always learned to trust my feelings. And this one... well, it's a little nebulous, but I still feel as if we're missing something, something big. For example, what if the Archives got erased, or were never recorded for some strange reason?"

"The Force is certainly with you. I hadn't thought of that as a possibility, but I will certainly meditate on it. I think the best thing to do is figure out who this Chosen One is, and then figure out how it applies, and to what timeframe."

"I concur. May the Force be with you, Master Solo."

"And with you. Solo out."

Ennelei knew that, unfortunately, there was not a single piece of known history that would ever give her a clue as to what had happened concerning the Chosen One. For, the sands of time had buried the secret, and had eroded any details that might have blossomed into helpful clues.


	10. 9: The Key

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters therein.

**A/N:** I know it's been a while since I've updated, but I was on vacation. I appreciate all of the good reviews that I got.

**Dragon Riding Sorceress:** I like all of your speculation! I'm glad you're interested... and this chapter should answer a lot of your questions. And about the prophecy, I really don't follow the EU so I didn't know anything about it.

**Sir Geoff:** You asked a very good question. The AT-ATs in this fiction are NOT the ones you see in the Original Trilogy. They are a sleeker, faster, automatic form ofa speeder. They look nothing like the original AT-ATs but the abbreviation stands for All Terrain Automatic Transport.

Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

9: The Key 

_She found herself in a room she was not familiar with, but she turned slightly and recognized the endless cityscape of Coruscant. As she did so, a piece of her hair swung out from behind her ear. In tucking it back, she looked down in surprise, and saw that her normally blonde hair had been replaced by fiery auburn locks, as bright as the sun that was now setting, and no less glorious. She also observed that the ground was much closer than it ought to have been, as if she had shrunk. Her mouth had been partially opened, and she now closed it, as if she had just finished delivering a silent message._

_Now turning around and looking up, she noticed the presence of two men. One was elderly, looking nearly sixty, and had apparently seen a lot of action in his life. He had sparse white hair and a face that was starting to crease with wrinkles. Despite all the signs of aging, however, he was certainly a striking man. He was slender and in good shape, showing no signs of decrepitude, though he did gaze wearily at the young man before him. The latter looked like a younger version of his elder, save that his eyes were an intense gray color, so close to Ennelei's own, instead of a piercing shade of blue._

_Although she did not recall saying anything when she opened her mouth, her message had obviously not been silent to these two, for the younger man reacted to it then. His statement explained both the tense atmosphere and the resemblance between the two men. "She's dead, Dad. How does that make you feel?"_

That voice… I know that voice.

_The father tried to place a hand on his son's shoulder, but the latter withdrew. "I'm sorry, Ben." The same aspect of the youth's voice that had triggered Ennelei's memory was heard in the elder's at once, Ennelei realized that he reminded her of Luke Skywalker. But this couldn't be him, because Luke hadn't had a son… right? _

_The older man sighed, and turned toward her with a tired sigh. "When did this happen, Lanya?"_

Lanya? As in Luke Skywalker's daughter? What in the galaxy is happening? _While her mind was spinning in a confused state, her mouth answered mechanically. "Intelligence found her body earlier today, at about 0350 our time." _He called me Lanya. Then again, this could be anyone who knew her…

"_Her body?" the older man persisted._

"_She was probably to young and untrained to be able to transcend death."_

"_I know how you felt, son. I'm sorry…"_

_The growing tension between father and son finally erupted in a violent explosion._

"_Don't even say you're sorry! That's what you said when you came back from your last mission with mom. You could have saved her – I know you could have, people always consider you as the galaxy's greatest hero – and if you had really cared for her, you would have. Instead, she died defending you. She took the laser bolt meant for you."_

"_I know she did. Ben you know I did everything I could—"_

"_I see past your lies, Dad. You left with her on that mission to Tatooine – a planet you swore you hated – and you came back alone. Do you know how hard that was for me, to never have seen her again?"_

"_Of course, I do. I had to deal with the same problem." He sighed, and his voice softened. "She was too young to die."_

"_Yes she was," Ben snapped, "and so was Kayla. But you're too absorbed in being the glorified hero of the Republic that you don't _feel _for people. Not even the woman who you claim you loved. Not even me, your own son. You've tried to drag me into this life that I didn't want. Just because my parents were Force-strong, I'm _not,_ and I am also not fixated on being a galactic hero like you are. If mom were here, she'd understand. Thanks to you, she's dead." Then, a realization visibly struck him. "Now that Kayla's gone, there's nothing else here for me. I'm fed up with everything." He strode into the adjacent bedchamber, his father on his heels._

"_You're leaving?" His father asked when he saw Ben take out a travel case. His tone was both incredulous and mournful. Ennelei - or was it Lanya? - looked on from her spot in the doorway, feeling helpless and out of place._

"_That's right," Ben responded coldly. In the moments that followed, father futilely attempted to convince his son to remain on Coruscant. "I'm _leaving,_" the son burst out emphatically in the middle of the elder's calm and rational persuasions. "That's final; there's nothing you can do to stop me. " At that juncture, most of Ben's possessions had already been packed neatly in the travel case. "I'm fleeing far into the Outer Rim. Don't even think about coming to look for me, because I won't tell you where I'm going." _

_The elderly man watched as his son picked up the case and made for the door of the apartment. But he paused before he exited for good, and to his father's surprise, he turned back. As if seeing the bright glint of hope in the older man's eyes, he added, "I forgot something." That small indication of hope was instantly extinguished and transformed once more into a mark of despair. _

_Meanwhile, the young man had strode into what was evidently his father's bedchamber and opened the top drawer of the sole dresser and pulled out a few items. As Ennelei crept closer, she saw it was a ring and a heart-shaped necklace. _Bizarre._ "Wait a minute," his father called out, rising from the couch on which he now sat. Reluctantly, Ben halted, and then approached is father. "All I ask for is the ring."_

"_Why should I let you? You never showed one iota of love for her; the expensive wedding band must have been nothing but an empty symbol. As far as I'm concerned, you're entirely responsible for her death. You must feel that way too, because you're too afraid to even speak her name."_

"_Son, I loved your mother more than anything this galaxy save the galaxy itself. Her few pieces of jewelry are all I have left of her." He looked Ben right in the eyes and implored softly, "Please, son." Reluctantly, Ben handed over the ring, still clutching the heart-shaped necklace tenaciously. A small charm in the shape of a lightsaber hung next to the main heart pendant, she noted. Studying the object more closely, she was able to discern two letters intricately engraved on the pendant: TS. She looked at it intensely as the young man made for the door. He picked up his travel case and closed the portal with him and his possessions on the other side, and thus, Ben Skywalker was gone forever._

Ben _Skywalker?_ How do I know with such certainty?…

_The sound of the older man sinking down onto the couch with his head in his hands interrupted her mid-thought. Instantly filled with an inexplicable amount of compassion, she strode over and sat down beside him. She firmly placed an arm around his shoulders. And her mouth once again moved of its own accord: "It's not your fault, Dad." _Dad?_ Her head was reeling by now with the impact of all the bizarre things she had said and done. However, above confusion – and all else for that matter – she felt a sense of sorrow, as if Ben's departure was her loss as well. Silent tears made their way down her cheeks as the man whom she'd addressed as her father wept inwardly. Silently, they comforted one another with their mutual emotions until the man spoke up. "I can't believe he's gone."_

"_There wasn't anything you could have done," she futilely tried to console him._

_He didn't seem to hear her. "Maybe I could have been more understanding toward him. There ought to be something I could have said or done…"_

"_None of this is your fault."_

"_Yes, it is. I'm a bad father."_

"_No…" She felt as if she could say no more, and the room became uncomfortably silent once more. _

_Finally, he spoke up. "For once I'm glad that Tenyalla isn't here. She would have been devastated, and would have thought it was all her fault. Then again… if she were here, maybe he wouldn't have left."_

_Neither person noticed the presence of a numinous form in the corner of the room, for it lurked in the shadows. It was in the likeness of a woman, not unlike Luke in that she was beautiful, though daunted by age. In this instant, her face that was starting to crease with the worries of old age looked particularly careworn. If one could have done so in the spiritual realm, she would have wept along with the other two._

_The scene switched to show a small vessel approaching a barren world, upon which two suns shone brightly._

The incessant blaring of a chronoalarm was the next thing Ennelei heard. Startled at the abrupt change of events, she took a few moments to get her bearings before going to turn it off.

Her thoughts then inevitably turned back to the strange dream. As she had been living through it, she had been too engrossed in what was going on to extensively question why she had ostensibly been trapped in Lanya Skywalker's body. _If that were actually true…_ Ennelei became surprised that she even bothered to think farther than that. It was only a dream, after all. But something had definitely grabbed her attention. For one, through deductive reasoning she could figure out that the older man was Luke Skywalker. He had called her Lanya; in turn, she addressed him as father. And so had that other young man, Ben. _Strange, I thought he'd had only a daughter…_

Then, there was the presence of that hololocket, which made Ennelei believe that this dream would more aptly be called a vision. The initials appeared no different than they had in her dream; the elegant T.S. was still there, not faded though unaccountably old. _If I only had a key to this piece of jewelry, I could unlock the secrets of this entire mystery…_

All of a sudden, a detail that had seemed frivolous in comparison to the other revelations of the dream came back to her. There had been a small lightsaber shaped pendant on the chain next to the locket itself. She gazed in wonder at the charm bracelet on her wrist. There hung what seemed like the exact replica. She remembered finding it among her mother's jewelry just after Serinya had become deceased. She thought of it as a beautiful piece of jewelry but had opted to place it on her bracelet and leave the beautiful locket on the chain by itself. Before now, she had not thought that the two had belonged together. She fingered the small charm. _Could it really be that simple?_ There was only one way to find out.

She took off the bracelet, trying to fit the side of the pendant into what was seemingly its larger counterpart. She held her breath, and exhaled loudly when it didn't fit. Just as she was about to abandon the entire idea as hopelessly far-fetched, she laughed at herself; she had inserted the alleged key upside down. Tremulous fingers then turned it the right way, and almost dropped the necklace out of shock when it clicked into the groove. The microscopic indentation that served to resemble the activation button of the lightsaber activated the inner mechanism by pushing down a tiny lever, and the necklace opened into two halves. For a moment, Ennelei forgot how to breathe, as she faced the holos of two extremely significant personages.

The left portion alone shocked her, though in hindsight, it shouldn't have. Staring her in the eyes was the younger man she had seen from the previous night's vision. It was the caption that befuddled her most. It read "Ben Sheplin," instead of _Ben Skywalker._ But the picture next to it was enough to eliminate any doubts of his identity. A young woman was pictured, shoulder-length curly locks gently cascading down her slight shoulders. Her eyes and facial expression were deep but passive. 'Mother,' read the simple caption. Ennelei remembered that picture from her viewing of the Jedi Archives; the young lady was doubtless no other than Tenyalla Skywalker herself. If nothing else, the fact that these were old blue-and-white holographs attested to their age. They had gone out of existence shortly after the New Republic began to form, replaced by the more recent color RealLife shots.

Ennelei held the open necklace in her palms for a few long moments, placing together this puzzle of which she had just found the long-lost last piece: Luke Skywalker, the Chosen One, the broken line, the posterity...everything coalesced. Finally, _everything _made sense.

_I have to talk to Tabretta Solo!_

She glanced at the chrono and winced. She was due at the facility in less than 20 minutes, and she had not even begun to get ready.

"You're late, Miss Starchaser," her superior chided sternly as soon as she entered.

"I know, sir. I'm sorry." She hung her head slightly with her hands clasped behind her back – it was a gesture of apology on Atillah.

"See that it does not happen again," he said severely.

"It won't, Sir. I'll work extra late today." Ennelei knew that this would be necessary anyway. She'd been so engrossed with her inner musings concerning the dream and her hololocket that she had lost track of time. She had to bite back a swear when she saw the time on the chronometer, not only because she'd be late for work, but because she needed to contact Solo, and because she'd been so eager to do so. She had prepared herself in record time, not even bothering to eat a small breakfast. She had set her transport at a speed that would have been questionable to the authorities had they spotted her.

Currently regaining her composure and posture, she spoke up. "I need to contact Tabretta Solo with an important update on the mission she gave to me."

"Do what you must, but do not forget that you have a report due in two days sharp."

"I won't forget, sir." Contrarily, that report had been in the forefront of her mind.

She strode over to her workstation. From the adjacent one, she heard Sarisa chuckle softly as she greeted Ennelei.

"Hey. Wow, you look like you've just rolled out of bed."

Ennelei gritted her teeth, not in the mood for superfluous humor. "Very funny." She switched on her private holocomm. "Master Solo," she addressed the Jedi, once her translucent image appeared before her.

"Ennelei. I take it you have a new development in your research?"

"Yes, an very important one, at that. I've figured it out."

"Figured _what_ out?"

"Everything." Ennelei related all to Tabretta, starting with the vision and continuing with the interpretation process, including many details that pointed toward the conclusion. Carefully, she laid out pieces of the puzzle, making them logically fit together: the locket once belonged to her mother, and before her, her ancestors, the first of which was Luke's rebellious son, Ben Skywalker. The reason why he wasn't in the Jedi Archives was because he had run away from the Jedi Temple, not wanting to follow the lifestyle of his parents. It all made perfect sense.

When Ennelei finished her description of this strange chain of events, she saw Tabretta Solo sink into a pensive state of meditation. "I never expected anything like this. It is a complicated situation. Although your account would explain the origins of your Force-sensitivity and your accurate visions, I cannot base a historical account on a personal story and dream."

"Of course, I understand that. I was hoping that you would be able to look into it further based on the information I supplied."

Slowly Tabretta shook her head. "I'd need a little more evidence than you've provided so far. I for one believe that it's worth looking into, but I foresee the Council rejecting the idea. It could be that we start doing tests and something fails to match up; they'd be unwilling to risk sacrificing the time and energy."

"What if I showed you the actual hololocket? It contains Tenyalla Skywalker's picture, and it was always with my mother's family, handed down from generation to generation."

"You're sure this person isn't someone that resembled Tenyalla?"

"I'm sure," Ennelei responded as she used the lightsaber pendant to open the locket and reveal the two pictures. Tabretta studied the young woman's photo intensely. "You're right. I'd be willing to bet that you have the same picture that's under her file in the Jedi Archives, pixel for pixel. But why does the photo next to it have the caption 'Ben _Sheplin?_'

For a long time, Ennelei was silent. She had overlooked that as an unimportant detail before, and she begged herself to come up with a plausible explanation. It would have been a shame if she had worked this hard to come up with a conclusion that was so easily proven false. Eventually, though, she thought of a credible justification. "We know that Ben wanted nothing to do with his father. He must have disowned him by changing his surname." She remembered the headstone that she had found so many years ago on Tatooine with the same name engraved on it…

Solo considered this for a long moment, then shrugged, apparently convinced. "Very well, then. I will present this possibility to the Council. If all of this is true, we will be happy to finally have aid in possibly preventing this seemingly inevitable Civil War. I will contact you when the Council in entirety reaches its decision. May the Force be with you."

"And with you." With that, the transmission ended.

"You're trusting her?" The voice was low and smooth, almost mystical sounding. It belonged to a Falleen, the most exotically beautiful humanoid race in the galaxy. This particular being possessed the typical high cheekbones and green-gray skin of his species. He was tall as well, which added a commanding presence. His graying topknot suggested that this was an aging Falleen – probably somewhere over 150.

Next to him stood Tabretta Solo, who responded to his inquiry, "Yes, master Stri'lath't. She doesn't have much evidence, but the amount that she gave me is very convincing. It's worth the effort to look into her background if it means getting the help we need in the end."

"Use your head, Tabretta. If she were truly this 'Chosen One,' she would have already been recognized by the Jedi Order."

Tabretta cut him off, a steely gaze visible in her eyes as she became indignant that he insulted her intelligence like this. "_If_ she had been born in the Republic. This young lady is from Tatooine. She matches up with the prophecy's description of the second One. He or she was to be born secluded from the rest of the galaxy, and was supposed to come from a mysterious and long-hidden line of descendents. What's more, he or she would hypothetically come during a time when help was needed most. We've discussed for years how we desperately needed aid from someone who was Force-strong. Now here she is, the key to the mystery. It was her destiny to help us."

"Okay, Tabretta. But have you thought about what would happen if all of this becomes null and void?"

Tabretta shook her head, large, unblinking brown eyes staring out of the window. "That is something I simply cannot foresee."

"If you feel that strongly about this, then there is nothing that either the Council or I can say to convince you otherwise. Do what you feel you must, but if there is anything that doesn't match up, don't waste any more time pursuing the matter."

"Of course, Master. May the force be with you."

"And with you." He wasted no time in turning around and leaving.


	11. 10: The Council

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it. Not trying to.

**A/N:** As usual, thanks to all who R&R'ed. I do appreciate all feedback I get and I have been thrilled with the responses I have gotten.

* * *

**10: The Council**

Ennelei found herself in transit to Coruscant once again. So much had happened to her in the past month – in the past week, even – that she hadn't even had time to collect her thought until this long Hyperspace voyage. Even that wouldn't provide enough time. It was mind-boggling, really; first, she had grown up as an unassuming moisture farmer's daughter on a Force-forsaken dust-ball otherwise known as Tatooine. Then, having been fed up with the mundane lifestyle, she'd vowed to leave, and found herself struggling to survive on her new homeworld of Atillah. The culture shock that resulted from making the transition of a farmer whose only vital technology was a moisture vaporator to a citizen of a glitzy high-tech planet had been enormous. Then, wanting to do something productive with her life, she went on to study history, hoping to teach current and future generations lessons that could be learned from the past.

Little had she known that she had been the _solution_ to a mystery that had gone on for generations and was still directly affecting the current one. Little had she known that she would be in transit to Coruscant to have her DNA experimentally juxtaposed to remnants of the long-deceased Luke Skywalker's.

_If this experiment confirms my suspicions, it will mean that, even after all those years, the Skywalker family was on Tatooine. Some things never really change. _

She drew a deep breath, as if inhaling the courage necessary to proceed, then ascended the numerous steps that led up to the structure of the Jedi Temple.

>

A few hours later, she watched as Luke Skywalker's lightsaber was gingerly lifted form its containing case, not with human hands, but with a long-handled apparatus that Ennelei did not recognize. Lab specialists carried it away in an airtight but portable container under the supervision of Tabretta Solo. They were to take it away and extract the dormant DNA from any remnants of dead cells they might find. Afterwards, they would compare their sample to that of Ennelei's own. It would take a while to get results. The fingerprinting itself took some times and in addition, a trait analysis would have to be done on Luke's DNA sample to make sure it was really his and not that of someone else who had merely touched his weapon. Until the matter was proven affirmatively or negatively, it was no more than a waiting game.

>

The physical analysis had matched every one of Luke Skywalker's traits; the fingerprinting had proved the Ennelei Starchaser was indeed descended from him. Even the great historians among the Jedi were shocked: How could this be? There was no mention of far Skywalkers in the Archives. Nevertheless, it was true, and was accepted as true, because even the most intuitive of Jedi felt it so. And besides, it had been irrefutably proven. Ennelei's heart jumped for joy when she heard the news, but she knew that this case was not closed. In fact, she felt quite the contrary; the research and tests had been a mere preface, and with a favorable conclusion to that, the case had been allowed to _open._ The pivotal question being: What action would the Council take in light of this new information?

For the first time, Ennelei stood among said Council's venerable members, in a room that sat atop the highest spire in the Temple.

She was more nervous than she had ever been, and a little intimidated, but she hid her feelings well, if only on the outside. She knew that every Jedi in the room could read through her perfectly.

That was, after all, the objective of the current exercise – for each Jedi to reach into Ennelei's mind and divining what purpose she would best suit. Then, in order of ascending hierarchy, each Jedi Master was to express his or her opinion on the matter.

The first, an older human female, spoke up after what seemed like an eternity. "This young lady certainly is strong in the Force. But I sense many conflicting emotions within her. I feel it is necessary to wait longer before making such a decision."

Master Solo nodded. "Thank you, Master Riner. And Master Teraah?"

A teal-faced alien with white hair, whose species Ennelei did not recognize, spoke next. "I also sense much fear in her, but I feel that she controls it well. With some training, she could learn to act more passively. Obviously, we cannot let her be trained as a full-fledged Knight; our code forbids it."

A Twi'lek interjected right then. "If I may bee forgiven for speaking now, I feel there should be no in-between resolutions to this issue. Either she is trained as a Jedi to help us, or she gives us no aid at all."

"And where do you stand on the issued?" asked Master Stri'lath't.

"Undecided."

"Very well. Next?"

Ennelei listened with the utmost attention the Jedi after Jedi as each commented. After the Twi'lek's admonishment about taking absolute action, each one said nearly the same thing: that, though she his it well, there was much fear and emotion in Ennelei, and that she was too old to be trained. Most thought that, as a result, Ennelei should not help out in any fashion. Ennelei wanted nothing more than to assist the Jedi in some way, whether through training or not, and her heart sank lower each time she heard such a comment. Not until the third-highest in the hierarchy was reached was a small ray of hope provided.

Master Addikanbecca, a towering Wookiee, growled out his opinion in his native language, but used the Force to convey his feelings to all of the Basic-speakers in the room. After what sounded like a soft laugh, Ennelei heard: _"I actually sympathize with the little cub." _Ennelei quickly became amused by his choice appellation. "_Of course she's slightly unnerved. If any of you were in her place, you would be, too. But this cub has her heart set in the right place. She wants to become a Jedi; she _wants_ to help. As mentioned by Master Solo, we are in desperate need of aid, and I sense she is very strong in the Force. For this, she should be considered for training."_

Master Stri'lath't chose that opportune moment to speak his mind. "It may be that she is Force-strong and wants to help out. That is all well and good, but the fact remains: she is absolutely too old to begin training. Additionally, I think it means little that she belongs to a family line that was once great. According to the suggestions of Master Fuli'ka, I firmly believe that she should be kept out of the picture entirely. We do not train anyone unless from birth. That is final and should conclude the matter."

Ennelei's anger burned against Master Stri'lath't, but only momentarily. She quickly controlled herself by recalling that she was among twelve very influential Jedi. Letting her emotions out of check at such a time would only worsen her situation. As of that moment, there was still hope, for Tabretta Solo had not yet spoken. The Falleen had turned to her at the conclusion of his terse speech, as if expecting her to react and agree with him. However, her eyes were still closed in a state of meditation. Apparently, she was agitated, and wanted to speak every word correctly in making her rebuttal.

After a long few minutes, she rose, and started to pace the chamber, making eye contact with each Master individually as she want around. "Masters of the Council. I feel that there are many things that you have forgotten to consider. Remember that only Sith deal in absolutes. Surely, our code is enforced for good reasons, but that does not mean that it is etched in stone and that it shouldn't change if the times call for it." By this time, she had circled the room completely and now stood in front of Master Stri'lath't. When she looked him right in the eyes, the gray hues of his face superseded the green. From what Ennelei understood about Falleens, the shade expressed a mixture of irritation and frustration. Tabretta continued pacing as she resumed her speech. "These are times that call for a change; we know that because, whether you are willing to admit it or not, our old methods have failed consistently and are now exhausted.

"I sense what many of you are thinking: 'How is training one person going to help the entire galaxy?' Well, is that not what happed with her ancestor, Luke Skywalker, in the Galactic Civil War era? One other thing about Luke: our archives contain explicit proof that he was a young man when he started training. The only possible conclusion is one choice; let Ennelei Starchaser fulfill her prophesied destiny by starting her Jedi training and thus bring order to the galaxy. In a word, I concur with Master Addikanbecca – the girl must be trained.

"I know that I have presented a lot, and I know it will take a while to process all of it. I ask but one favor of each of you: meditate on this matter. Ponder it until you reach not just a hasty decision, but one that you feel is _right._ Let the Force guide you in this. If we each put aside our own personal biases and allow the force to flow through us, we should be able to reach a unanimous decision. At this time, if there are no further comments—" she broke off and looked around to see that everyone sat in stunned, contemplative silence, "—then I declare this session adjourned. May the Force be with us."

As each member turned and left, Ennelei sought out Master solo. She had been so positively surprise by her strong defense and had felt so proud of the Jedi Master. "I cannot thank you enough," she aid to the other earnestly.

Tabretta nodded. "It was my pleasure as well as my duty to be doing what I felt was right."

>

Tabretta Solo had always been a highly respected voice of reason on the Council. She also had natural persuasive skills. She could probably convince a strong-willed person to jump off a Coruscant spacescraper if the Jedi Master were the type to do such a thing. So, it was no surprise that every member did exactly what she'd requested. Through hours of pious meditation, most members reached the same conclusion that she had: for the sake of the common good, the Starchaser girl had to be trained. Even Master Stri'lath't, who was second next to her in the hierarchy of the Council and who was used to being right, had to conceded that he had made a hasty judgment.

This duo stood alone in a main hallway of the Temple, looking out over Coruscant's landscape as they spoke. Stri'lath't's head was down, and his mouth opened hesitantly, as if unsure that he was going to say something. Eventually, he did speak. "I'm... sorry, Master Solo. When I thought over the matter more prudently, I saw that I was wrong and you were right. It wasn't my place to disagree with you about the girl." His face took on a shade of rose, indicating his apologetic mood. With that, former trace of innate Falleen arrogance disappeared, replaced by a humble Jedi demeanor.

"I am grateful that at least one has been persuaded to see my point-of-view. However, my concern is with the rest of the Council."

Stri'lath't chuckled softly. "If even I was persuaded, then I'm sure the rest of the Council will likewise agree. And if not, I'm sure new of the latest uprisings on Saleucami will convince them to reconsider."

Tabretta's features grew sterner and more concerned. "Yes, I believe you're right. I just hope that it doesn't take too many more attacks for them to realize what the right thing to do is." She looked at the sun setting over Coruscant for a few seconds. "Otherwise, by that time, it might be too late."

>

Ennelei's heart beat wildly as she stood among the twelve most renowned Jedi in the order once again. Here and now, her fate would be decided once and for all; either way, this decision would change her life drastically.

"Masters of the Council," Master Solo opened. "You have been asked to _carefully _reconsider your previous decisions about young Miss Ennelei Starchaser's fate. On this day, votes will be placed on whether she will be trained as Jedi. All who are opposed speak now."

"Nay," piped up the violet-skinned Twi'lek, Fuli'ka, her lekku twitching.

"Nay," followed one of the human males that Ennelei remembered as being on the higher end of the hierarchy. She was starting to have a bad feeling about this, but she glanced at Tabretta Solo, who looked serene, if not confident.

"Nay," rasped a female Gran.

"Nay," replied the anvil-head Arcona.

Then there was silence.

"All in favor?"

Each of the other followed with a prompt "Aye," and Ennelei was elated to see that not only Solo and the Wookiee were on her side. In fact, a majority of 8-4 had voted in her favor. Even the seemingly inexorable Falleen, Stri'lath't, was convinced that she should be trained. Ennelei was both surprised and encouraged by this.

"Ennelei Starchaser," Solo said, "welcome to the Jedi Order."

Stri'lath't spoke up next. "I feel that it would be best to introduce her to the other Masters to see who's available to train her—"

"That won't be necessary," interjected Solo. After a pause, during which all curious eyes in the room fell upon her, she continued. "I wish to take Ennelei as my Padawan learner."

Stri'lath't's face turned a lighter green, indicating mild surprise. "After the incident with Jaret, I thought…"

_Who is Jaret?_

Tabretta shook her head. "That mission to Naboo was nearly a year ago. It is time for me to let go of the past." She stepped forward, in the direction of a confused Ennelei, and reiterated, "I will now take on a new Padawan learner."

Ennelei was as shocked as she was honored, but still her head reeled with the numerous pivotal events that had happened in a matter of weeks. Now, they had climaxed into one life-changing event, and it was all the more overwhelming.

>

Ennelei accompanied Tabretta to her chambers, her head still spinning. Her thoughts wandered back to the mysterious Jaret that had been mentioned. She was confused and curious, but she knew better than to ask, based on the other's previous reaction to the name.

A sigh escaped Tabretta's lips then. Evidently, she could read Ennelei's every thought. "Actually, that mission took place just before I visited your research facility on Atillah for the first time. Jaret, who was my Padawan, and I were dispatched to Naboo to iron out some terrorist issues that the system was experiencing. In short," she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to find her center of calm, "he never made it back. He died defending me. He was a fine student and a promising prospective Jedi, and entirely too young to die. But war touches the good and the evil, the young and the old alike." She stopped in front of an apartment door just then; the chrome numbers to the side of it read _11-38._ She opened the door and motioned for Ennelei to enter. Then the former followed, sitting down on one of the couches in the room. Ennelei stood across from her. "That's one thing that will never change," Tabretta concluded pensively.

"Still, I am sorry for your loss. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"No, it's better to have this out in the open rather than you finding out later. Anyway, I think it would be best if you go one last time to Atillah to say farewells and take care of last-minute business."

Ennelei laughed softly. "That will work out well. My boss would think it suspicious if I never returned and never gave an explanation for where I was."

"Very well, then. You should leave right away. When you come back, this will be your home. Be prepared to work extremely hard. Being a Jedi is one of the hardest challenges that life can offer, especially to one who starts late. May the Force be with you on your last voyage over."


	12. 11: A Different Kind of Hero

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it, don't sue.

A/N: Since it took me so long to update, I am posting two chapters. Thanks to all who have reviewed!

* * *

**Chapter 11: A Different Kind of Hero**

Sarisa was incredulous when she heard the news. "_Going? _What do you mean you're _going?_

Ennelei blushed. "The situation is much more complicated than I could explain. I could try, but there'd still be things to be confused about. I know I'm confused enough, and I'm the one actually living the situation out. To make it simple I'll just say that I'm being trained as a Jedi and—"

"A Jedi Knight! You're gone for a couple of days, and now you return and nonchalantly announce that you've gone from historian to a Jedi!"

"I know it sounds far-fetched. I know that you've also said that heroics mean little to you."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry that I ever told you that you had too much valor. I don't know what came over me; I'm pretty sure it was envy at work. But all I can say now is that I only wish I'd been chosen to go off and be trained as a Jedi like you. Now, you'll be serving the Republic – a Galactic hero – and I'll be… nobody."

"Sarisa, being a hero doesn't necessarily mean you have to defend people from near-death situations while swinging a lightsaber around. People who lead everyday lives can be heroes and not even know about it. Situations in which you can act heroically present themselves every day. One just has to look for them." _That just wasn't _my _destiny._

She exited the workstation, giving her friend one last smile. Sarisa didn't respond; she looked dazed, apparently digesting Ennelei's philosophical food for thought.

> 

Had Ennelei been watching from an outsider's perspective, she would have laughed at her superior's reaction to her declaration, for it uncannily mimicked Sarisa's first response. "What do you mean, you're _going?_ By whose authority do you leave?"

"The Jedi Council's, sir."

He made a face. "They have no jurisdiction in this matter."

Ennelei gritted her teeth. _The first thing I'm going to work towards is getting the general population to trust the Jedi… if I ever make it off Atillah again._ She tried to stutter out a response to her superior's comment, but defended herself poorly. Before he could say anything further about the matter, however, Ennelei recognized a familiar face at the door: Sarisa. She beamed; she knew that Sarisa could defend her convincingly. The other young lady was articulate and always had a logical voice of persuasion. She valued confrontation and public speech while others shunned it. If anyone could plea Ennelei's case, it was her best friend.

"I know you don't want to lose an employee like Ennelei," she spoke up as she confidently strode in. Ennelei felt so proud of her friend at the moment that she could have cried; however, as the prospective Jedi, she opted to remain expressionless.

"But think of how she would feel if you denied her this opportunity. All her life, she's looked forward to greater horizons, to touching the lives of many others. Now, this is her golden opportunity, and you would take it away from her? Think of how it would affect her; think of how it would affect the galaxy."

Ennelei's boss remained inexorable. "I am one man; the problems of that whole collection of star systems—" he pointed upwards, "—means little to me."

Sarisa shook her head, and then turned to Ennelei "That's a big part of the issue, isn't it – apathetic citizens? True, this problem isn't affecting Atillah now, but when war comes – and it _will _come if this continues, I assure you – you will be sorry. From history, we _know _how much of an impact even the smallest person can have on the future. By letting Ennelei leave, you will help to affect the future for the better, and possibly stop catastrophe from arriving upon our system." Sarisa crossed her arms and moved to stand beside her friend while still addressing their superior. "So, what do you say now?"

After a long, tired sigh, the simple response came: "Go."

Ennelei turned to face her friend, full of pride. She placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "That is exactly what I meant when I was talking about 'everyday heroes.'"

Sarisa smiled hesitantly, and the two shared one last embrace.

"Look after the others for me… especially Teran. They won't understand," was Ennelei's final instruction. Silent tears simultaneously traced their way down each of the young ladies' cheeks. Then, Ennelei finally parted.


	13. 12: The Time to Act

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it, don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter 12: The Time to Act**

Time was running out.

It was three years ago that Ennelei had arrived on Coruscant to stay. In actuality, though, it was a paradox to call the Jedi Temple 'home.' She and Tabretta used it as a virtual military base, usually resting there only long enough to catch their breaths and to pick up the next assignment in the perpetual series. Thus, they were able to keep many of the Outer Rim attacks at bay. They had pacified and eventually obliterated the Triple Alliance that had pushed the Outer Rim realm so frighteningly close to open revolt. Though this had been a years-long process, Ennelei knew that it was just the beginning of a long, unnerving conflict. It would not be long before another portion of the Outer Rim would become violent enough to give worries of war.

There wasn't much time for her to complete her training.

She had made extraordinary progress so far, according to her Master, Tabretta Solo. Perhaps in as little as a few months, she would be prepared for the Trials. Over the years, the Council had debated whether or not to appoint a liaison to the Senate. The suggestion had been Ennelei's – she never forgot the lessons from history that she'd learned concerning unity – and the Council had approved it, if over a long period of time. Finally, they had agreed to let _her_ fill the position, as soon as she'd passed the Trials. She knew that her Master had a lot to do with that decision; she respected Ennelei and had the utmost faith in her precocious abilities. Ennelei in turn admired her. She was, after all, the one who had looked after her ever since she'd come to Coruscant, and indeed, even before that.

So now, it was waiting game, as well as a strenuous test to see how much more pressure the galaxy could take before snapping in two – or multiple pieces.

>

_A man clad in all black barged into the dimly lit office at night, just as it was about to close. Frightened, the physician in question dropped the primitive tool he had been holding. _

"_I hear you rendered visit to a certain Serinya Starchaser," the intruder asked without preamble. _

"_Y-yes that's true. Is this significant?"_

"_Depending on your definition of 'significant.'" He stepped forward, and his face that was formerly hidden in the shadows became partially illuminated. "My accomplice and I know a lot of things. We are aware of this situation and are convinced that this lady could interfere with our little plot to take control over Tatooine."_

"_Of Tatooine? Why would you want to bother with this sandy rock?"_

"_The quest to greater power always starts out with small steps. Before one knows it, he could be supreme ruler of the galaxy. That's how Palpatine himself did it. According to the Prophecy, though, your patient could spoil our thus-far carefully fabricated plans."_

"_Who are you? And how do you _know_ about all of this?"_

"_As I said, we know a lot of things… but very few of them concern you. All you need to know is that if you eliminate the dame," he showed an expensive coin that was lying in his palm, "then you will be handsomely rewarded." _

_The other man visibly paled. "She has cancer. She is so close to death anyway—"_

"_Can it not be done? I want no chances taken." He held out the coin, with a slight wave of his other hand. "If nothing else, see it as an opportunity to prosper. This first, for your silence. Then if you execute the task, twice that in addition."_

_A malicious smile now crept over the doctor's face. "Now, my friend, we speak in the same tongue. I agree to all terms." _

_The two shook on it. Then the doctor turned back to his workstation once again. He smiled maliciously. "This vitamin-drug that I'm about to make should... take care of her."_

_> _

When Ennelei woke that morning, she was fully aware that she had had no normal dream. That doctor was indeed the one who had come and paid her family a second visit, and had subsequently eliminated her mother in a discreet manner. Before, she had questioned his motivations for doing so; now that she understood, she was no less forgiving towards the man. He had very nearly declined, but in the end proved indecent enough to stoop to bribery. He was weak-minded…

That other man certainly knew how to manipulate people, Ennelei thought grimly. Her face tightened. She had not missed the mentioning of the prophecy and the heroic family. She had not failed to notice the slight movement of the man's hand that ultimately resulted in the other man's consent to all of his terms. Putting two and two together, she could automatically guess what the intruder really was.

Immediately, she got out of bed. Her Master was already seated in the common living area, reading over something in an APD, most likely for their next mission. Ennelei sat on the couch across from her. Evidently sensing that the imminent matter was serious, Master Solo put the datapad down and looked up.

Ennelei decided to open the discussion with an indirect question, so that she would know if her subject was even worth discussing. "Do you believe in the accuracy of dreams?"

"It depends. Sometimes, visions of the future show completely alternate paths, since so often the future is contingent upon events that don't end up taking place. Even the slightest change in an event or a seemingly trivial event that doesn't occur can alter the fate of the whole galaxy."

"And what of visions of the past?"

Tabretta folded her arms and leaned forward. "I'm listening."

Ennelei told of her vision in context of what had happened years ago when her mother had passed away. She was sure to include the subtleties in the dream that made her reach her conclusion: "This could only mean that there are still Sith Lords in the galaxy."

Tabretta's face became suddenly dark and grim. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, discouraging though it may be. I will inform the council, and we be particularly watchful for any signs of the Sith in the future."

Ennelei sighed. "Now I'm almost certain that the galaxy will go to war."

Tabretta paused pensively, and then shook her head. "Actually, it is not certain, depending on how quickly we can execute our plans. Once you become liaison to the Senate, if it helps to unite the galaxy as strongly as we hope, the Sith will be no threat. If there is no major weakness in the Republic, two Sith will not be strong enough to threaten it. It is only when there is trouble and decay from within that evil is inclined to attack. I believe that, if they see a unified galaxy, the Sith will search for better opportunities to usurp. Now you see what I mean by seemingly small things dictating the course of the future. You being appointed to a virtual role in the Senate could change a lot."

Ennelei was very much encouraged by her words, and nodded her wholehearted agreement.

>

She faced the remotes with as much vigor as she would if they were actual battle droids. Two more flew in from the left, making her current number of metal adversaries five. To many in the Order, such a feat would be impossible, but Ennelei remained calm as she threw herself into a low tumble-roll, evading the barrage of fire aimed from above.

Discreetly, but quickly, the remotes started to move. Ennelei could practically see them nodding to one another as they formed their conspiracy. Before she knew it, they had lined up on either side of her, some firing up, aiming at her head, others shooting their benign fire towards her feet. The only escape path was for Ennelei to leap over one row of remotes so that she would be untouched by the volley. She raised her violet blade even before she landed, prepared once again for the figurative battle, but just then, all the remotes were recalled. Slowly, she lowered her sword, finally deactivating it when she saw that Master Solo did not intend to throw her a surprise-attack.

"You've done well, my young apprentice."

Ennelei inclined her head. "Thank you, Master."

"Even I didn't foresee that last little trick. These remotes – you'd think they had material brains the way they conspire against you." She nodded more introspectively. "You are ready. Not solely in skill, but in heart and mind as well. There is little more you can learn from me. You are completely ready for the Trials."

Ennelei was overwhelmed with joy. "Master, that's … that's wonderful!" Beyond that, she was completely at a loss for words.

Tabretta smiled, if only briefly. "Yes, it is. It takes the average Padawan approximately ten years to train. But you've come a long way in only a little under four, and I'm proud of you."

"And after the Trials—?"

"Granted that you pass – and I have no doubt that you will – our previous plan is still in action. You will not have an official seat on the Council, but you will be the Council's informant to the Senate."

Ennelei's heart leapt; finally, her lifelong dream was coming true. She would live to see unity in the galaxy.

>

Shortly thereafter, however, there was another threat of war, and the galaxy held its breath.

By this time, the chaos had migrated from the southern portion of the galaxy to the far eastern fragment of the Outer Rim. The normally pacifist world of Mon Calamari, known for manufacturing large cruisers and cargo ships, was now beginning to produce military frigates. Then, even more alarmingly, the planet made a pact with the galaxy's most industrial world, Ord Mantell, known for specializing in metals, especially for Republic military purposes.

Ennelei hoped to help end this once and for all, not for fame and recognition, but because this issue had gone on far too long. She strode purposefully into the Jedi Council chambers that day, glad to be fulfilling her role as liaison at last.

"Members of the Council," Tabretta Solo announced. "It is necessary that we assist this young lady in doing her job. Just because she has this appointment does not mean that it is our time to rest. Let us not be afraid to go out where the real danger is, to fight and ultimately to negotiate. Some of you have already experienced the treachery of the Outer Rim systems, because you've visited them directly. For those who haven't yet, know that they are worse than we could imagine here in the safety of Coruscant's atmosphere."

"And prepare to experience hardships out there, because from now on, we will each do our part in combating this pervasive evil – all of us, myself included," interjected Ennelei. "Otherwise we run the risk of becoming like the Jedi Council of the Old Republic, who became so insulated and almost complacent that they didn't sense danger of the Sith until it was entirely too late. We must not let ourselves become this oblivious.

"It is also necessary to truly understand the situation. From a true point of view, it is not really the Outer Rim systems that are causing the mess. True, their methods are chaotic, but what other options are left for them? They have waited over 450 years for their freedom. When waiting failed, they petitioned and begged to become part of the Republic. When negotiations failed, they started to resort to violence. Their request itself is not far-fetched. They are demanding what you and I would demand under similar circumstances: freedom. Yes, freedom: for, by being bound to our galactic government, they would have peace in knowing that they could have help in handling certain matters, whereas normally they'd be left to their own devices. It's paradoxical, but it makes sense if one thinks about it.

"Once again, we must appease this violence by complying to a justifiable request, by countering attacks, and by opening negotiations. We must also inform the Senate of this, and form a good rapport with its members. Honorable Masters of the Jedi Council," she concluded, "The time to act is now."

Moved by the convicting and logical speech, all of the Council members could do nothing but comply.

>

A golden protocol droid greeted her at the door to the Chancellor's office. He was a strange machine; while Ennelei could tell he'd had modern modifications installed, he was quite antique looking. He shuffled over to her and bowed, as was expected of a droid of his genre. "Oh, hello. I am C-3P0, human-cyborg relations. How might I be of service?"

Ennelei chose her words carefully. "I am the newly appointed Jedi Council's liaison to the Senate, here to see the Chancellor."

"Oh, yes, Miss Starchaser. We have been informed of you and have been expecting your presence. I shall inform the Chancellor at once." Ennelei laughed inwardly at the droid's grandiose mannerisms.

Once the Chancellor had been informed, the droid returned. "His Excellency would like to know if you were sent by a Master Tabretta Solo."

"That's right."

"That's quite interesting indeed. I once served a Solo, I believe, though my recollection of such details is somewhat hindered by my rusty memory banks. Ah, I do believe it was a Lady _Organa_ Solo – yes, come to think of it, that was the name. That just goes to show how old I am. I've served in this office since the first Chancellor of the New Republic was in power."

_Does he ever stop talking?_ Of course, being an ex-historian, she knew all about the Solo family. Leia Organa-Solo was the one among the more important historical figures in the post-Battle of Yavin timeline. She had been the first Chancellor of the New Republic just as C-3P0 said. Tabretta Solo was descended from her. Unlike the Skywalkers, some of the Solos had not become Jedi, so it made sense that some of their Force-sensitive descendants were currently in the Order.

"But I do believe I ought to lead you to the Chancellor now, so if you would follow, please."

_Finally._

"Chancellor Terek, might I present a most important visitor."

Ennelei inclined her head out of respect. "It is a great pleasure to finally be meeting the leader of the Republic."

"Be assured that the pleasure is mine, Master Jedi." That title still sounded foreign to her.

Pleasantries aside, he motioned for her to sit down, and the business began. "So, tell me your Council's and your objectives."

Looking the Chancellor in the eye the whole time, she laid out two very closely related initial goals: to unify the Senate and the Jedi Order, in order for each party to be informed and so that they could execute well-planned actions. Through this, Ennelei sincerely hoped that civilians would see that the Jedi were attempting to be more proactive and would consequently put more trust in them. What she did not mention yet was her proposal of incorporating the Outer Rim systems into the Republic. The Force told her _not yet,_ that it was too early at this time. She'd need to first form a sense of trust between her and the Chancellor, between the Senate and the Jedi Order. _Not yet, then. _

_> _

She had to consciously try to stay awake during the Senate session. She found it ironic that she hated politics so much, yet she was sitting here, listening to a session of the highest governing body in the Republic, because it was her duty. _Sometimes, fulfilling one's dreams and destiny entails doing things that one detests._

It mattered little. Her desires for the galaxy would soon come into place; victory was so imminent that she could practically smell it. Soon, she would fulfill the prophecy, and everything would be set right. _I can feel it… very soon._


	14. 13: Supernova

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it. Not trying to.

**A/N:** Last update! This chapter makes no sense unless you read the Epilogue, so I am posting them together. FYI, this is WAY more filled with romantic sap than what I normally write...

* * *

Chapter 13: Supernova

_The cries reached the woman's ears the moment they started, and she sat up before her husband even stirred. Concerned, she furrowed her brow, making the wrinkles that lined her eyes and forehead crease even further. She wasn't particularly old, but excessive worry over the years had made her age prematurely. It was an older version of Tenyalla Skywalker._

_She waited a few moments longer. When her son Ben didn't stop sobbing, she started to rise to tend to him, but firm hands from behind pressed down on her shoulders._

"_Stay here, love," Luke told her gently. "I'll take care of it."_

_She relaxed slightly, and then lay back down. She listened to the voices in the next room, sighing out of admiration when she heard the sound of her husband's reassuring voice. The more he spoke, the more the sobs subsided. Luke could tame any wild beast with just the sound of his voice._

_When he reentered, however, he didn't look very reassured himself._

"_What was it?" his wife asked as he sat on the edge of the bed._

"_Bad dream." Outwardly, his expression hadn't changed, but attempting to hide emotions from a Jedi wife usually wasn't very successful._

"_What's wrong, Luke?" _

_He sighed, pulled her into an upright position, and held her close for few minutes before answering. "He dreamed that you got shot on tomorrow's mission."_

"_Fatal?" In reality, she already knew the answer._

"_Yes."_

"_And you took it to be prophetic?"_

"_He's very close to you, Ten. I don't think it was just a coincidence that he had the dream tonight. The force often shows one the fate of people that one loves the most."_

_Tenyalla reached up and stroked his hair. "Perhaps he was just worried. And if there was more to it than that, it's all right. You know that I've always wanted to die defending the Republic."_

"_Still, I've had a bad feeling about you going on this mission lever since it was assigned to you." He looked her straight in the eyes. "So, I'm coming with you tomorrow."_

"_You've said you hated Tatooine, to the point where you'd avoid it at all costs."_

"_Almost all costs. I'm coming with you, and that's final."_

_Tenyalla nodded her consent, knowing that it would be futile to argue with Luke. True to his family traits, he was inherently very stubborn._

> 

_For those who dare face two Jedi in battle, it is usually a most unfortunate end, especially if said two Jedi happened to be Skywalkers._

_One green lightsaber blade and one violet blade moved rapidly through the air, relentlessly blocking enemy fire. It was an amazing spectacle, this duo doing battle. Though the Jedi were known to be pacifists, if keeping peace meant aggressively defending others' rights, they were able to do that as well._

_Yet, not even the greatest Jedi is infallible. Luke never sensed the bolt that sailed towards his side. Since he had his back to it, he didn't see it either… but his wife did. Her heart raced, and so did her feet. She leapt towards the shot that would have been lethal to Luke. Her blade rose to block it once she was in its path, but so much had happened so fast that she missed by crucial centimeters. The bolt struck her in the side; she grunted and fell limply to the ground._

_Luke thought that he had been hit. He felt both the physical and emotional pain. He very nearly cried out and fell down himself, but the urgency of the situation kept him on his feet. He knew instantly what had happened, and did not even need to cast a glance to the side to figure anything out. The love of his life had been shot._

_The knowledge resulted in a violent infuriation that made him drastically increase in velocity. He soared through the air, catching at least half of his enemies off guard, and disarming a good number of them in a matter of seconds. After a few minutes, all were either dead, unconscious, unarmed, or had retreated. That left the sandy plane littered with bodies but only one of them mattered to Luke._

_She was unconscious at the moment, like so many of the unfortunate others were. But she would wake again – Luke would see to that. He slipped one tremulous arm around the back of her neck the other around her knees, and carried her to their mutual ship. Fortunately, it was nearby; they had been ambushed the moment they had landed._

_Gingerly, he laid her slight form on the bed in the quarters, then rushed to the cockpit to start the flight cycle._

_Once the vessel was safely in the routes of Hyperspace, Luke rushed to his wife's side. He didn't shed any tears, but he cried inwardly at what he saw as he knelt there. Her blood was everywhere. The shot had covered a fair portion of her vital midsection, just above her hip. She was still breathing – thank the Stars, she was still breathing – albeit shallowly._

_Luke put his forehead to hers and started to place her in a healing trance, but she chose that moment to return to consciousness. In spite of her period of unawareness, she was fully mindful about her condition._

"_It's too late Luke."_

"_No…"_

_She reached up to place a finger over his lips and to caress his face. "Save your strength, love. My time has come. Listen to me. Tell Lanya and Ben that I love them. Take care of them and watch after them for me, Luke." _

"_Don't talk like this, Tenyalla. You'll come back to Coruscant with me and—"_

"_I'm not going to make it back to Coruscant Luke. I'm going to die here. Please let me go."_

_Grief-stricken, he rested his head on her shoulder. There was no more deceiving himself. She was right; she had only a few minutes left._

_Tenyalla caressed his face, and then pulled out a necklace that had been protected by her layered robes. It looked far too beautiful to be worn with simple Jedi robes on a dusty planet such as Tatooine. She handed it to Luke along with her wedding band that she slipped off her fourth finger. "So my memory lives on with you."_

_Luke took them absently, though he added, "I won't need these to help me remember you." He paused for a minutes. "I should have been able to save you. Why do you have to die?"_

"_That is the way of the force, Luke. This is one of those things that happen to us when we least expect it, and we don't understand. Those were the principles that you taught me so long ago."_

_Luke sighed. He remembered hearing those words from Master Yoda 20 years ago before the ancient Jedi Master passed on. It had been hard enough to cope with that loss…_

_As he'd done for the old Jedi Master, he pulled the bedcovers over Tenyalla, as if trying to give her comfort in her last few minutes. _

_She smiled weakly, and spoke with a voice just as feeble. But, just as a beautiful star shines most brightly before it fades away and dies, she fervently spoke the most endearing words that Luke had ever heard in those moments. "I'm sorry that you felt the need to annul the mission in order to save me. But I suppose there will be another time for you to go slave-freeing… since you survived."_

"_I only wish you could have lived with me. But I'll always be thankful to you for saving me." Luke was almost on the verge of tears._

"_I was just returning the favor," she replied, smiling slightly. "You won't need to mourn for me, Luke. I will be one with the Force, which you will be with you always, as I will be…" Her voice trailed off, but her head gently rolled to the side as if she had said all that she wanted to before her death._

"_Tenyalla!" Luke moved to grab her arm, but found that he was instead grasping the bed covering. As for Tenyalla... she was gone._

_Not wanting to look at the spot where her body had laid mere seconds ago, he spun around and headed for the cockpit. In doing so, he glanced briefly out the viewport. The stars swirled around him in all the glory of Hyperspace, but they seemed darker, as if they too were mourning the death of a great hero._

_Glancing back at the bed, Luke suddenly knew why they looked darker. The brightest star of them all had extinguished its light by exploding into a supernova. _

_Still clutching his late wife's jewelry, he finally left the room, closing the door so as to seal off the bad memories. He wouldn't return; he'd much rather sleep in the cockpit among the comfort of flight controls than in the bed in which his beloved had spent her last moments._

_He landed the ship in much the same way as he always did. As he disembarked, he saw his children gleefully rush towards him._

Her children.

_Luke watched them regretfully as they came near. He saw that they knew he was safe, but at the same time, he felt incredibly sorry for them. Little did they know that he was returning alone._

_His daughter Lanya approached and embraced him. When she withdrew, she had an all-too-aware look on her face, and Luke began to wonder whether she really did know. And as he looked into those gray eyes that may as well have been Tenyalla's, he felt his heart break all over again. _

_Then came the dreaded question. "Where's mom?"_

_By this time, Ben had caught up to her and came to stand behind the duo. Luke couldn't even verbally respond, but as he had guessed, Lanya understood the implications of his silence. Her eyes narrowed and started to fill with tears._

"_I'm sorry, Lanya. I'm sorry I wasn't able to save your mother—"_

"_Mommy's gone!" Ben screamed suddenly._

"_Yes, sweetie, I'm afraid so."_

_Ben started crying uncontrollably. Luke picked him up and tried not to cry himself as he led his children back to their apartment in the Jedi Temple._


	15. Epilogue: Past, Present, Future

Right. I don't own _Star Wars_.

* * *

**Epilogue: Past, Present, and Future**

Ennelei Starchaser did eventually convince the Senate to incorporate all inhabited star systems into the Galactic Republic. Afterwards, she pushed for a specific project to colonize Adriana, the third planet in the Tatoo system. It was a gas giant, but Ennelei knew of planets such as Bespin that thrived through their networks of suspended cities, which mined unique gases. Adriana, at the time uninhabited, had the potential to become one of these prosperous civilizations. At the same time, it would offer those Tatooine natives who wanted to start a better life on a clean slate a unique opportunity.

For this reason, Ennelei made her journey to Tatooine to talk about the matter with the newly appointed Republic authorities. This much is common knowledge: that, just after her vision of Tenyalla Skywalker's death, she departed and never returned. Her negotiations never took place.

Everything else is left to speculation, including how she died, and when, and above all, why. Theories of every sort abound, but historians have made the most generally accepted ones into a legend. She embarked, landed without incident, and headed towards the Parliament in Bestine Township. But on the way there, a group of people ambushed her, and though she valiantly defended herself, she finally fell, being so clearly outnumbered. It is speculated that she was probably wanted by a group that was plotting to take control of Tatooine before she came along and foiled their plans by incorporating it into the Republic. Those who are destined to become great figures of history are often loathed by people living in the present. And although Ennelei helped restore peace, there was still hate and prejudice existing in the galaxy. This much was inevitable; corruption is an inherent part of all living beings' nature. Some things never change.

In legends, imagination often takes liberty in inventing additional facts that logic does not account for. Legend has it that Ennelei's death paralleled that of her ancestor Tenyalla's: that she foresaw her death days before it happened and more vividly mere seconds before the fact, all the time comforted by the fact that she would be able to die for her galaxy. To this day, no one can prove the validity of any of it; hence, they will never be able to. Sometimes, the greatest pieces of history are lost. It has always been this way and will always be this way in ages to come. It has been especially true with the Skywalkers. Even thought he Jedi Archives hail most of them and tell their stories in a basic form, the most touching details of their lives are lost, buried in the sands of time, and never to be recovered.

But we do have present evidences of Ennelei's successes, to a certain extent. Adriana was colonized, and a memorial to Jedi Master Ennelei Starchaser was erected long ago on the planet, because the colonization had been her idea initially. Ennelei's life was short, but its epilogue was long. Her influence has been, is, and will be long-lived; it has the potential to last even forever.

But the period of peace will not. The Sith are in the galaxy; it has been known since that night of Ennelei's vision. Just as they recognized that Tatooine was a point of weakness before Ennelei was introduced into the Jedi Order, the Sith that have come to replace them so many years later wait for when conditions are good for them to strike, all the time watching for a weak point. It may not come soon. It may take generations and generations of Sith before the slightest fissure appears and the slightest hint of a faction comes into view. This is largely thanks Ennelei, who delayed their victory by giving the galaxy strength in unity. But the Sith, the ever-so-patient Sith, will strike eventually. Darkness will always prevail to balance out the periods of peace and light, no matter how long it takes. This has always been the way of things, and it always will be.

All good things must come to an end; like this period of prosperity, the Skywalker line is no exception. In the future, if the Force wills it, a new line will rise up and be known throughout the galaxy as great. This will undoubtedly come to pass when the galaxy is in great need – maybe even to fight off the far apprentices of the same Sith that Ennelei fended off in her time – and the great story of the Skywalkers will be repeated in a cycle once more. But that is someone else's story… for another age, another time.

_The line drawn out over twenty score,  
__Is severed, and shall never more  
__Continue, but its legacy,  
__Shall leave its mark on history,  
__Though the sands of time efface,  
__Details of this memorable race._

_Thus, it has been since the Galaxy was born;  
__Thus, it will be till a new era dawns._

Indeed, some things never change.


End file.
